NBC is betting that a mobile app word game could become a broadcast hit.
The network said on Monday that it planned to produce a game show based on Wordle, the puzzle game published by The New York Times that challenges players to deduce a five-letter word in six guesses or fewer.
The series, hosted by the “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, is set to begin airing in NBC prime time next year. The Times will serve as a production partner, alongside Jimmy Fallon, the host of “The Tonight Show.”
“Wordle” — the TV show, that is — is the first instance of The Times associating itself with a prime-time entertainment program on a major broadcaster. The company previously collaborated with cable and streaming channels on documentary series based on its journalism as well as adaptations of long-running features like Modern Love.
That The Times is co-producing a half-hour variety show where contestants compete for a cash prize reflects in part the company’s diversification in recent years. Its Games app, which includes the Crossword, Spelling Bee and Wordle, is among its most popular products.
The TV series will be filmed in Manchester, England, and is expected to replicate the Wordle typeface and color scheme. Representatives for The Times and NBC declined to say how much the network would pay The Times.
Wordle, which The Times acquired in 2022 for a low seven-figure sum, has made cameos on the small screen before. A 2024 episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” explored the practice of spoiling Wordle answers out of spite. (“I’m a Wordle wizard,” Richard Lewis bragged to Larry David.)
Ms. Guthrie said in an interview that she was an avid fan of the game who shared her scores with friends on multiple group texts. One, called “Wordle Nerdle,” includes her co-host Carson Daly and his wife.
Filming of “Wordle” was delayed after the disappearance in February of Ms. Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, who remains missing. Ms. Guthrie took an extended leave from “Today” before returning to the program in April.
Ms. Guthrie said in the interview that Wordle had been a point of connection between her and her mother. In December, she showed her the game show’s pilot.
“Everything is strange right now,” Ms. Guthrie said. “It’s strange to get up and do the ‘Today’ show every day, and it’s strange to say that I’m going to do a game show when your heart is broken.”
“Nothing about that has changed, and it’s not easy,” she added, “but I’m determined to put one foot in front of the other. And this is a joyous thing.”
Michael M. Grynbaum writes about the intersection of media, politics and culture. He has been a media correspondent at The Times since 2016.
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