Wordle Heads to NBC with Jimmy Fallon at the Helm

Wordle, the word puzzle that took the internet by storm, might soon have a new home—on television. NBC is working on a pilot for a game show version of the popular online challenge, with Today host Savannah Guthrie set to lead the show.

According to Deadline, Jimmy Fallon is helping turn the hit puzzle into a TV competition. The project is being filmed in the UK under Fallon’s production company, Electric Hot Dog, alongside Universal Television Alternative Studio and The New York Times, which owns the Wordle brand.

The New York Times has been planning a TV version of Wordle for a while. After buying the game in 2022, the company began exploring ways to adapt it for television and decided to partner with Fallon to make it happen.

For those unfamiliar, Wordle gives players six chances to guess a five-letter word, using color clues to show which letters are correct or misplaced.

The game releases one puzzle each day, which millions of people around the world try to solve at the same time. Created by Welsh developer Josh Wardle, it quickly became a global obsession before being bought by The Times.

The game’s popularity hasn’t slowed down. In 2024, players logged more than 5 billion games, up from 4.8 billion the year before. Fallon himself has been open about being hooked on it, once admitting on The Tonight Show that he’s “addicted” to the daily puzzle.

If NBC moves forward with the project, Wordle would join Fallon’s growing list of TV ventures. He recently launched On Brand, a business-themed reality show, and is also behind Password and That’s My Jam, both airing on NBC.