Game Show Network facts for kids
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United States Canada |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (HD feed downgraded to letterboxing 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Sony Pictures Television Networks |
| Parent | Game Show Network, LLC |
| Sister channels |
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| History | |
| Launched | December 1, 1994 |
| Former names | GSN (2004–2018) |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| DirecTV Stream | Internet Protocol television |
| Frndly TV | Internet Protocol television |
| Philo | Internet Protocol television |
| Sling TV | Internet Protocol television |
| YouTube TV | Internet Protocol television |
Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by the television network division of Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along with new, first-run original and revived game shows. The network has also previously aired reality competition series and televised poker.
As of October 2019, Game Show Network claimed that it was available to "nearly 75 million" households in America, primarily through traditional cable and satellite services. The network and its original programming are also available on streaming and Internet television services, including Frndly TV, YouTube TV, Philo, fuboTV, Sling TV, and Plex.
Contents
History
1994–2004: As "Game Show Network"
On May 7, 1992, Sony Pictures Entertainment joined forces with the United Video Satellite Group to launch the Game Show Channel, which was set to begin in 1993. The announcement of the channel was made by SPE president Mel Harris.
On December 2, 1992, Sony Pictures Entertainment made a deal to acquire the Barry & Enright game show library, and in a separate deal, struck a 10-year licensing agreement for the rights to the Mark Goodson game show library of more than 20,000 episodes including among others, What's My Line?, Family Feud, and To Tell the Truth. Upon the deal, Sony said it would sell an equity stake in the network to Mark Goodson Productions, including the production of new original series by Jonathan Goodson Productions. Both deals were completed on December 7, 1992, eleven days before Mark Goodson's death. On June 6, 1994, Mark Goodson Productions pulled out of the venture. GSN's launch time was intended to be at 10:00 p.m. ET, but at the time, it was pushed back to 7:00 p.m. ET.
Game Show Network launched at 7:00 p.m. on December 1, 1994. The first aired game show to be on GSN was What's My Line?. By the launch date, the network had secured rights to over 40,000 episodes from the libraries of several game show production companies and corporate parent Sony. The initial lineup was exclusively acquired programming such as Match Game, Family Feud, The Newlywed Game, Jeopardy!, and Wheel of Fortune. Over time, Game Show Network acquired the rights to The Price Is Right, The $10,000 Pyramid, Let's Make a Deal, Hollywood Squares, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and other libraries, putting them on the schedule at various times throughout the network's history. The network eventually began producing original game shows such as Lingo, Burt Luddin's Love Buffet, Whammy!, Inquizition, and Extreme Gong. Faux Pause is an American television program that aired in 1998 on Game Show Network. Co-hosted by Mary Gallagher and Sean Donnellan, Pause consisted of jokes and skits done while watching certain episodes of game shows, in a similar fashion to Mystery Science Theater 3000.
In 2001, a massive change in both leadership and programming at the network took place when Liberty Media acquired a 50% stake. Both president Michael Fleming and vice president Jake Tauber departed, and former ABC Family/Fox Family Channel president Rich Cronin was hired to head the network.
2004–2018: As "GSN"
On March 15, 2004, Game Show Network began using the abbreviation "GSN" and introduced the tagline "The Network for Games." GSN began expanding its programming to include reality television games and various competition-based programs. GSN would also air reruns of reality competitions (for example, Spy TV and The Mole). Along with its new format, GSN would continue to produce traditional game shows, including new seasons of Lingo and a revival of Chain Reaction.
David Goldhill succeeded Rich Cronin as GSN president on August 1, 2007. A high definition simulcast feed of the network was launched on September 15, 2010.
Some notable acquisitions for the network included Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and the Steve Harvey-hosted Family Feud, both of which would headline the network's prime time lineup. Notable original game shows produced during this time were Catch 21 (which would be revived in 2019), Baggage (hosted by Jerry Springer), the first U.S. incarnation of The Chase, American Bible Challenge (the premiere of which drew an audience of nearly two million viewers), and Skin Wars (which would later move to Syfy). The network produced interactive program blocks, such as GSN Live and Playmania.
In March 2011, DirecTV (which by this point had taken over Liberty Media's then-65% stake in the network) sold a 5% stake in the network back to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Although DirecTV nominally remained the majority owner, it had ceded control of the network to Sony, and had the right to force Sony to increase its stake in GSN to 58%. On November 8, 2012, DirecTV sold an 18% interest in GSN to Sony. GSN partnered with Vubiquity to launch "GSN On Demand" on August 15, 2013.
2017–present: Return to "Game Show Network"
In April 2017, David Goldhill stepped down after nearly 10 years as GSN president, the longest tenure for any president to date. He was succeeded by Mark Feldman in August 2017. Later that year, the network would begin to refer to itself in promos by its full name. By 2018, the network's programming returned to focus on traditional game show formats, culminating in a rebranding that restored the network's full name.
The network's daily schedule would consist almost entirely of original programming, including new shows like America Says, Common Knowledge, and People Puzzler. In April 2020, Game Show Network re-introduced Master Minds, a retool of an earlier original show called Best Ever Trivia Show featuring Jeopardy! champion and host Ken Jennings, and now hosted by the returning Brooke Burns of the GSN version of The Chase.
DirecTV's stake in Game Show Network would move to AT&T when it acquired the service in 2015. On November 18, 2019, it was announced that Sony had acquired AT&T's 42% stake and thus resumed full ownership of GSN. A list of 2020 Nielsen ratings published by Variety indicated that Game Show Network averaged 432,000 viewers in prime time, up 6% from the 2019 average.
In December 2021, Mark Feldman resigned after four years as Game Show Network president, to join the video game firm Scopely amid the gaming unit sale from Sony. He was succeeded by longtime executive John Zaccario.
On September 7, 2022, Dish Network and Sling TV removed Game Show Network from their lineups, after failing to reach a renewal agreement with owner Sony Pictures Television. The network returned to both services on September 27, 2022.
On October 4, 2023, GSN partnered with sister company Crunchyroll, LLC to announce Crunchyroll Channel, a new FAST streaming channel that airs anime programming from Crunchyroll, which then launched on October 11, 2023 for The Roku Channel, LG Channels, and Vizio WatchFree+ platforms, and later on October 17, 2023 on Amazon Freevee as well as on February 5, 2024 on Pluto TV. The initial programming lineup featured English dubbed episodes of anime titles such as Horimiya, Ranking of Kings, Moriarty the Patriot, Psycho-Pass, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, To Your Eternity, and Code Geass.
Programming
Current original programming, as of February 2024, includes Master Minds, America Says, Split Second, Switch, People Puzzler, Blank Slate, and Hey Yahoo!. Other shows airing on the network include Catch 21, Common Knowledge, Chain Reaction (hosted by Dylan Lane), Match Game (hosted by Gene Rayburn), Family Feud (hosted by Steve Harvey), Deal or No Deal (NBC version), 25 Words or Less, Cash Cab, Person, Place or Thing, Press Your Luck (ABC revival hosted by Elizabeth Banks), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (original ABC primetime run hosted by Regis Philbin), Wheel of Fortune (hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White), and the 2016 version of The $100,000 Pyramid.
Syndication and digital streaming
GSN began syndicating some of its original programming to other channels in the early 2010s. On June 24, 2013, the channel entered into an agreement with Bounce TV, giving it the broadcast rights to The Newlywed Game, Catch 21, and The American Bible Challenge. The American Bible Challenge aired in reruns on UP in fall 2013 and again in spring 2015. Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza aired on Laff in 2015. Reruns of America Says aired in syndication during the 2019–20 season. Currently, reruns of People Puzzler are airing in syndication for the 2023-24 television season.
In March 2020, the network launched Game Show Central, a digital streaming channel broadcasting archived original programming. The network is currently available on Samsung and Vizio smart television sets and Paramount Global-owned AVOD platform Pluto TV (which also carries rival network Buzzr). Game Show Central features both current GSN originals like America Says and older shows such as Cram, Friend or Foe?, Minute To Win It, and Baggage. The Roku Channel picked up the service (with a somewhat different schedule and roster of shows compared to the Pluto TV stream) later in 2020. The service was made available globally via Plex in late July 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Game Show Network para niños
