NBC UNIVERSAL DOMESTIC TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION AND ENDEMOL USA BRING HIT GAME SHOW "DEAL OR NO DEAL" TO NATIONAL SYNDICATION
Howie Mandel To Host Monday-Friday Version Starting Fall 2008
Syndicated Version Sold To NBC O and O's, CBS, Scripps, Allbritton, Sinclair and More in Top Markets
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA-October 8, 2007 - NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution is bringing NBC's and Endemol USA's hit game show "Deal or No Deal" to national syndication starting in fall 2008, it was announced today by Barry Wallach, President, NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution and David Goldberg, President, Endemol USA.
Howie Mandel, who will continue to host NBC's hit primetime run of the game show, is set to host the new half-hour version being sold to local stations for Monday-through-Friday broadcasts. This syndicated version will include all key elements that made NBC's primetime version a breakout hit, with Mandel as host, the Banker, models, contestants risking big money and the same award-winning production team.
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution sales executives have already sold the show to the NBC Universal stations in the nation's top markets including WNBC-TV New York, KNBC-TV Los Angeles and WMAQ-TV in Chicago, WCAU-TV Philadelphia, KNTV-TV San Francisco and others, as well as to stations from CBS, Allbritton, Scripps, Sinclair and more in top markets.
"'Deal or No Deal' is a fun and entertaining game for families to watch together at home and root for their favorite contestants," says Wallach. "It's win all or lose all, as contestants have a chance to change their lives forever in a matter of minutes. 'Deal' is a ratings success because it's emotional, aspirational and most importantly, every moment counts. We are proud to bring this proven product to the marketplace with all key elements intact, giving stations a great opportunity to lift their lineups to new ratings heights."
"We are thrilled to continue our already successful partnership with NBC Universal and Howie Mandel with this new version of 'Deal or No Deal'," says Goldberg. "The half-hour version of 'Deal' has been an extraordinary hit around the globe and with Howie and our same production team at the helm, this new daily syndicated version will continue to work with American audiences for years to come."
"My wife could not be more thrilled to have me out of the house and at work Monday thru Friday," said Mandel
"Deal or No Deal" was NBC's most watched program of the 2006-2007 TV season, averaging 15 million viewers per telecast, continuously building on its lead in for stations across the country, according to Nielsen Media Research. The series was also NBC.com's biggest draw as well last season, attracting nearly 20% of all visitors to the network's website. When it debuted on NBC in 2005, as a primetime Monday-Friday strip, "Deal or No Deal" attracted nearly 46 million viewers in its first week.
After its breakout debut in Holland in 2002, "Deal or No Deal" became a worldwide phenomenon and the format has since aired in more than 80 countries, including the U.S. It has also successfully aired as a Monday-through-Friday strip in more than 30 countries globally, including the U.K., France, Germany and Spain.
Hosted by Mandel, "Deal or No Deal" is an exciting and addictive hit game show where contestants play and deal for cash prizes in a high-energy contest of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. During each episode, the game of odds and chance unfolds when a contestant is confronted with 22 sealed briefcases full of varying amounts of cash. Without knowing the amount in each briefcase, the contestant picks one--his or hers to keep, if they chose--until it's unsealed at game's end.
"Deal or No Deal" is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Scott St. John. The series is distributed in the U.S. by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.
About NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution:
NBC Universal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. The NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution division is responsible for the distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada. This includes distribution of current and library film and television product, including formats and non-scripted programming, in the pay, free, and basic markets, as well as the domestic syndication of first-run syndicated TV programs and theatrical and TV movie packages.
Current and upcoming first-run strip syndicated programming at NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution includes Deal or No Deal, Access Hollywood, Blind Date, The Jerry Springer Show, The Martha Stewart Show, Maury and The Steve Wilkos Show. Current first-run weekly syndicated programming includes The Chris Matthews Show, The Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo, Your Total Health, Lyons & Bailes Reel Talk and the off-network distribution of Heroes, The Office, House, Monk, the Law & Order series and much more.
About Endemol USA:
Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the break-out hits "Deal or No Deal," "1 VS 100," "Fear Factor," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Big Brother." Endemol USA is a division of Endemol Holding, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 21 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol Entertainment is a subsidiary of the Consortium, a conglomerate formed by Mediacinco Cartera S.A., Cyrte Found II B.V., and GS Capital Partners VI Fund.
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