NYT Games Chief Says NBC's Wordle Show Will Tape This Summer, Staying True to the Puzzle

The New York Times' Wordle is coming to television. Jonathan Knight, head of Games at The New York Times, said at Web Summit Vancouver that NBC's upcoming Wordle game show is being developed to stay true to the original daily puzzle and will begin taping in summer 2026.

The Details

Speaking at Web Summit Vancouver, Jonathan Knight confirmed that production on the NBC adaptation is moving forward with a specific focus on preserving what makes the original game work. Knight said that Savannah Guthrie, who is set to host the series, had visited the New York Times office. He also noted that the team had been working on the format, pacing, and rounds for the show. "Savannah Guthrie has been by the office," Knight said. "We've been developing the show and the format, making sure it's true to Wordle, that the pacing is right and the different rounds... and we're taping it in the summer."

Knight revealed that the project had been in development for several years. "We started talking about this three years ago, and had long thought that Wordle would make a great television show and just works well in other media," he said.

Context

NBC officially greenlit the Wordle game show on May 11, 2026. Savannah Guthrie is set to host the series, which is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio in partnership with Jimmy Fallon's Electric Hot Dog and The New York Times. The adaptation joins Fallon's existing NBC game-show footprint, which includes Password.

Wordle is a daily five-letter word puzzle in which players have six attempts to find the answer. The New York Times acquired Wordle in early 2022 after it was created by software engineer Josh Wardle. According to prior reporting, the game was played 5.3 billion times in 2024.

What's Next

The show is scheduled to tape this summer, though a specific premiere date has not been announced. Knight indicated that other prospective screen adaptations of New York Times games are not currently a focus for the team. "It's not something we're super focused on at the moment; it's a big project bringing Wordle to TV, so we're focused on that and excited to see how audiences respond to it," he said.