Sony Pictures Television is pushing the “Jeopardy!” brand into sports territory. The studio has officially greenlit “ESPN Jeopardy!”, a new spinoff that will stream on Disney+ and Hulu with veteran broadcaster Joe Buck in the host’s chair. A premiere date hasn’t been set.
The format puts a twist on the traditional quiz show. Instead of everyday civilians buzzing in, ESPN personalities will take the podiums, playing on behalf of charities they’ve selected. The tournament wraps with a $500,000 top prize and bragging rights as the first “ESPN Jeopardy!” champion.
Expect questions pulled from the network’s full programming catalog. Sony describes the show as a version of “Jeopardy!” built for obsessive sports fans, with talent squaring off on the Alex Trebek Stage. Michael Davies returns as executive producer, with Sony Pictures Television handling production duties.
Buck is a natural pick. The play-by-play voice spent two decades calling NFL games alongside Troy Aikman at Fox before the pair jumped to ESPN in 2022 on a multiyear contract for “Monday Night Football.” Their broadcasting partnership started back in 2002 as a three-man booth that also included Cris Collinsworth. Collinsworth departed in 2005, leaving Buck and Aikman as a duo.
The numbers speak for themselves. Across 22 seasons as a team, Buck and Aikman have worked more than 300 regular-season broadcasts, north of 40 playoff games, 18 NFC Championship contests, and six Super Bowls (XXXIX, XLII, XLV, XLVIII, LI, and LIV). Buck holds a record-tying eight Sports Emmys for play-by-play. He was welcomed into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in December 2022. Alongside sideline reporter Lisa Salters, he and Aikman took home the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Sports Series covering the 2023 season.
The new show slots into a rapidly growing quiz-show empire. “Celebrity Jeopardy!” airs on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu. The flagship syndicated “Jeopardy!” continues under host Ken Jennings. “Pop Culture Jeopardy!”, fronted by Colin Jost, jumped from Prime Video to Netflix for its sophomore run, which kicks off May 11. Jennings also heads up the freshly launched “Jeopardy! YouTube Edition,” the brand’s digital-first effort.
Sony hasn’t announced a roster of ESPN personalities yet. Given the breadth of the network’s on-air talent, from “SportsCenter” anchors to analysts across the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college properties, the casting pool is wide open.
Buck, for his part, adds hosting a national game show to an already crowded résumé that now stretches across baseball, football, and the occasional prime-time entertainment gig.
