One of the most viral digital puzzle sensations of the 2020s is making the jump from browser screens to prime-time television: NBC has officially confirmed that Wordle will get its own broadcast TV series, set to premiere across the United States and United Kingdom in 2027.
The 30-minute weekly show will be filmed in Manchester, England, and will be anchored by Savannah Guthrie, the long-time lead host of NBC’s top-rated morning news program *Today*. The project is a co-production between Electric Hot Dog, the production company owned by iconic late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon, who has been a high-profile Wordle fan for years.
Fallon shared his excitement for the upcoming series in a public statement, praising Guthrie as the perfect fit for the hosting role. “Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm, and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome,” he said. “And she obviously knows how to host a show. I am super proud and happy and I think we developed a solid game for prime-time.”
True to its source material, the TV adaptation will stay faithful to Wordle’s iconic minimalist design, replicating the puzzle’s signature typeface and color-coded feedback system that made the original game a global hit. Contestants will compete against one another to solve word puzzles for a cash prize, bringing the daily online challenge to a competitive broadcast format.
The path to production has not been without personal difficulty for Guthrie. Filming plans were originally pushed back after the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother Nancy in February 2025. Guthrie took an extended leave from her duties on *Today* to focus on the search, returning to the news program in April 2025. Nancy Guthrie remains missing, and Savannah has previously spoken publicly about Wordle being a special shared connection between her and her mother, who was also an avid daily player.
Wordle first launched in late 2021, created by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle as a personal gift for his word game-loving partner. Inspired by the classic 1970s logic board game Mastermind, the game follows a simple set of rules: each day, all players get six attempts to guess the same five-letter word, with colored tiles marking correct letters in the right spot, correct letters in the wrong spot, and letters that do not appear in the word at all. The game’s simple, shareable format made it a global viral sensation, and by the end of 2022, the New York Times acquired the franchise for a seven-figure sum. That same year, Wordle was the most searched term on Google worldwide.
The TV project marks the latest expansion of the New York Times’ growing gaming portfolio, which has become a key revenue driver for the publication in recent years. After the Wordle acquisition, the outlet added the game to its growing collection of digital puzzle offerings, which already included the long-running New York Times Crossword and the popular Spelling Bee game. Curiously, original creator Josh Wardle revealed in a recent interview with *The Sunday Times* that he has not played a single round of Wordle since he sold the rights to the publication in 2022.
NBC confirmed that casting for the first season of the Wordle TV series is now open, with on-location production set to begin in late 2026 ahead of the 2027 premiere.