or


[01/14/08 - 12:01 PM]
NBC Picks Up High-Octane Hit 'American Gladiators' to Continue Competing in Second Season
"Gladiators" is NBC's top new-series premiere since "Heroes" launched in September 2006.

[via press release from NBC]

NBC PICKS UP HIGH-OCTANE HIT 'AMERICAN GLADIATORS' TO CONTINUE COMPETING IN SECOND SEASON

NBC PICKS UP HIGH-OCTANE HIT 'AMERICAN GLADIATORS' TO CONTINUE COMPETING IN SECOND SEASON

BURBANK - January 14, 2008 - NBC has picked up a second season of the hit competition series "American Gladiators" (Mondays, 8-9 p.m. ET) it was announced today by Craig Plestis, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, Development and Specials, NBC Entertainment.

" 'American Gladiators' has delivered everything we were hoping for and has come out of the gate as a top contender," said Plestis. "We couldn't be more pleased with the audience reaction to this top-notch show all ages can enjoy."

"Reveille and MGM are so thrilled that America has responded to our reinvention of American Gladiators," said executive producer Howard T. Owens, managing director of Reveille LLC. He adds, "The next cycle will allow us to tell more stories, create bigger drama, introduce new challenges and further create the most fun-filled, action-packed hour of television."

"MGM is pleased to bring viewers a highly entertaining show that has sparked a chord with viewers all over the country," said Jim Packer, Co-President, MGM Television. "We and our partners at Reveille look forward to another action-packed season of 'American Gladiators' on NBC."

The Sunday, January 6 debut of "American Gladiators" (5.9 rating, 14 share in adults 18-49, 12.0 million viewers overall) grabbed the season's highest adult 18-49 rating for any new-series premiere on any network in the opening 15-weeks of the season. It was also NBC's top new-series premiere since "Heroes" launched in September 2006. Monday's regular-slot debut of "American Gladiators" (4.8/12 in 18-49, 10.9 million viewers overall) was that night's #1 non-sports telecast in adults 18-49 and NBC's top-scoring program in the time period since March 5, 2007, despite exceptional competition for young male viewers that night from Fox' BCS Championship football coverage.

In addition, "American Gladiators" has quickly established itself as a ratings behemoth among young men and young adults, with its January 6 premiere delivering the highest men 18-34 rating of any non-sports program on any network in the last seven weeks. That telecast also claimed NBC's highest non-sports rating among adults 18-49 in the time period in nearly three years (since January 16, 2005).

Hulk Hogan ("Hogan Knows Best") and Laila Ali ("Dancing with the Stars") host the iconic competition series, which returned with a fresh modern reinvention for the 21st century. Using splashy twists including special effects, water skills and the latest technology, the classic games have been upgraded with even higher thrills, impact, energy and spectacle.

Celebrating the everyday, true American heroes -- weekend warriors who excel and take pride in their physical fitness -- 24 contenders go up against the show's Gladiators, charismatic and eclectic warriors -- in the ultimate David & Goliath battle. The male Gladiators including Titan, Militia, Toa, Justice, Wolf and Mayhem and the female Gladiators Fury, Venom, Stealth, Crush, Hellga and Siren, have emerged as larger-than-life, break-out characters.

As in MGM's traditional "American Gladiators" franchise, everyday amateur athletes compete against the Gladiators in contests of physical strength and endurance. The series includes such classic events as Joust, The Wall, Hang Tough, Powerball, Assault, Pyramid, Gauntlet and the Eliminator along with two brand-new events including Earthquake and Hit & Run.

The 24 male and female contenders compete in three rounds of challenges where the final man and woman left standing will win a $100,000 top prize and will become Gladiators next season. All contenders have a unique story to tell and a compelling reason why they need to win. These unsung heroes combine brawn and heart in their effort to be worthy competitors, winning over the audience and turning them against the villainous Gladiators.

The series is currently casting for season two. For more information, please go to www.nbc.com.

"American Gladiators" is produced by MGM Television (the original producers of the show) and Reveille (NBC's "The Office" and "The Biggest Loser," "Nashville Star," "Ugly Betty"). Reveille's Mark Koops, Howard T. Owens and David A. Hurwitz ("Fear Factor") are the executive producers alongside Flor-Jon, Films Inc.'s Johnny Ferraro, original series creator.





  [january 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· AMERICAN GLADIATORS (NBC)
· BIGGEST LOSER, THE (USA)
· DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC)
· FEAR FACTOR (MTV)
· HEROES (NBC)
· HOGAN KNOWS BEST (VH1)
· NASHVILLE STAR (NBC)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· UGLY BETTY (ABC)





[10/14/25 - 03:06 PM]
ESPN Records the Most-Watched WNBA Postseason Ever Across Its Networks
Across 24 games, the '25 WNBA postseason averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 5% from last year.

[10/14/25 - 03:03 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Delivers Most-Watched West Coast Episode Ever; ESPN College Football on ABC Scores Top Three Programs Across All Networks and Content for Saturday, Oct. 11
The Texas Longhorns' upset victory over the Oklahoma Sooners averaged 8.7 million viewers.

[10/14/25 - 02:50 PM]
ALCS Game 1 on FOX and FOX Deportes Draws 5.3 Million Viewers
The Mariners victory over the Blue Jays averaged 5,310,000 viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports streaming services.

[10/14/25 - 02:39 PM]
FOX Sports Delivers Most-Watched LDS on FOX/FS1 Since Launch of Postseason Baseball on FS1 in 2014
On Friday, 8,723,000 viewers tuned in for the Mariners' historic 15-inning ALDS Game 5 victory.

[10/14/25 - 02:15 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" Registers Record Fourth Blockbuster Audience of 25+ Million Viewers This Season, As Lions-Chiefs Averages 27.3 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock
Lions-Chiefs averaged 27.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics, marking the second-most watched October audience in the history of NBC "SNF."

[10/14/25 - 02:01 PM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Announcement - Netflix
Your favorites from Season 9 will join hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey to reveal where their relationships stand today and revisit the moments that made us all wonder is love truly blind?

[10/14/25 - 01:45 PM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Return Strong for New Seasons
"Shifting Gears" earned the biggest audience since the show's Valentine's Day episode; while "Abbott Elementary" jumped over the show's season four premiere among Total Viewers as well as the season four average.

[10/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
Video: "Ms. Pat Settles It" Returns Nov 4 at 10/9c - Season 3 Trailer
In the third season, the comedian and actress returns to the bench to preside over real-life court cases with her signature "real and raw" brand of humor.

[10/14/25 - 12:28 PM]
NBC Sports Announces 2025-26 Big 12 Men's Basketball Schedule Featuring 20 Games Streaming Live Exclusively on Peacock
Peacock Big 12 men's basketball schedule tips off on Friday, November 21, with a non-conference matchup of preseason Associated Press Top 25 teams as No. 8 BYU hosts No. 24 Wisconsin at 4 p.m. ET.

[10/14/25 - 12:19 PM]
Lifetime Greenlights New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movie for 2026 "Shopping Cart Killer" Starring Lela Rochon and Jarod Joseph
Elisabeth Rohm continues her relationship with Lifetime to direct and executive produce the movie.

[10/14/25 - 12:14 PM]
ESPN and the Big 12 Announce Men's Basketball TV Schedule for 2025-26 Season, Tipping Off November 9
Games will be presented across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU an stream on the all new ESPN App.

[10/14/25 - 12:05 PM]
Video: Oxygen Debuts Trailers for Three New Series Premiering on Sunday, November 9
The night of killer new programming kicks off with season three of "Snapped: Behind Bars"; followed by the fourth season of "Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins"; and wrapping with the premiere of new series "Killer Grannies," hosted by Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb.

[10/14/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of October 6: "The Woman in Cabin 10" Rocks the Boat as No. 1 Debut in This Week's Top 10
In the spirit of the season of chills, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" claimed the No. 1 spot on the English TV list, rising to the top in its second week with 20.7 million views.

[10/14/25 - 12:00 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for "Angela Diniz: Murdered and Convicted," Debuting November 13
The series is inspired by the acclaimed podcast "Praia dos Ossos" and revisits the story of Ângela Diniz, a woman who, through her freedom and autonomy, defied the standards imposed on women and was brutally punished for it.

[10/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Official Trailer and Key Art Debut - "Obituary" Season 2 (APC Studios)
The second season of "Obituary" is now streaming all six episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.