2026 is looking like an excellent year for game show fans. Networks and streaming platforms have loaded their schedules with new shows, celebrity-hosted revivals, and returning favorites. Here's what you need to watch for.

Looking ahead: see our sneak preview of the new game shows coming in 2027.

New Network Premieres

Hollywood Squares (CBS, Nate Burleson and Drew Barrymore) — The celebrity-panel game show returned to CBS in January 2025 with Nate Burleson as host and Drew Barrymore in the center square (she is also an executive producer). Season 2 began with two holiday episodes on December 22, 2025, and continued from January 7, 2026 (CBS’s episode guide), with episodes streaming on Paramount+.

Match Game (ABC, Martin Short) — Not new this year: Martin Short's revival of the comedy-panel game show premiered on ABC on July 23, 2025, with contestants trying to match six celebrities' answers in a game of fill-in-the-blank. Short's decades of comedic experience make him perfectly suited to manage the banter and energy that Match Game demands.

The Greatest Average American (ABC, Nate Bargatze) — Comedian Nate Bargatze's new game show celebrates being perfectly average: through challenges and trivia, contestants try to guess how everyday Americans think and live, and the winner gets a chance at a grand prize equal to the average American salary, $67,920.

Returning Shows

Deal or No Deal (no network announced) — Deal or No Deal Island was cancelled by NBC in December 2025 after two seasons (Season 2 produced David Genat's $5.8 million win, which Peacock calls the largest cash prize in network television history), and its producers have been shopping a revival of the classic studio format to networks since. As of September 2026 no network, date, or host has been announced.

Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated, Ryan Seacrest) — Now into his third season, Ryan Seacrest continues as host of one of the most-watched shows in syndication. Expect the same winning format that has sustained the show for over 40 years.

The Price Is Right (CBS, Drew Carey) — Still going strong. Drew Carey's tenure continues, and the show maintains its position as the longest-running game show in American television history (its CBS daytime version has aired continuously since 1972, when it began as The New Price Is Right).

Jeopardy! (Syndicated, Ken Jennings) — Ken Jennings continues as host of the king of quiz shows. Expect tournament play, celebrity Jeopardy episodes, and the usual parade of champions.

Family Feud (Syndicated, Steve Harvey) — Steve Harvey's viral-moment-machine continues to dominate syndication with its simple, survey-based format.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC, Ryan Seacrest) — ABC renewed the primetime celebrity edition for a seventh season, which premiered Friday, October 2. New episodes air Fridays at 8:00 pm ET, with Vanna White still turning letters and celebrities playing for charity. An earlier run of ten episodes streamed exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu from Friday, June 12, before this broadcast season.

Streaming Exclusives and Originals

Peacock — Continuing with its original content strategy, Peacock now carries next-day episodes of Wheel of Fortune (alongside Hulu) and is the streaming home for Deal or No Deal Island reruns. The Floor, meanwhile, is a FOX show; its sixth season's first episode aired early on Sunday, September 13, 2026, ahead of the official Wednesday premiere on September 23.

Netflix — Netflix's new competition series Wonka's The Golden Ticket is streaming now (its two-part finale arrived September 30), and a Monopoly competition series follows in fall 2027; see our 2027 preview.

Amazon Prime Video — Amazon's Prime Video launched Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? with Travis Kelce in October 2024; no second season has been announced.

What Happened to Some Shows

Card Sharks (ABC) — The 2020s reboot was cancelled after a brief run. The format, while beloved by fans, struggled to find a modern audience.

Why Game Shows Are Hot Again in 2026

Game shows have experienced a genuine renaissance. Several factors are driving this: (1) They're cheap to produce compared to scripted dramas. (2) They're endlessly rebootable — format franchises can be revived with a new host and fresh marketing. (3) They're appointment viewing — families watch together, creating communal moments increasingly rare in the streaming era. (4) They're adaptable to streaming platforms, which lack traditional "appointment viewing" but benefit from binge-friendly catalog content. (5) Celebrity hosts elevate the prestige — when an A-lister hosts a game show, it becomes an event.

The Format Trend

Notice a pattern? Many new shows blend elements from multiple formats. The Greatest Average American mixes trivia with guessing how everyday Americans think and live. Deal or No Deal Island blends reality TV survival with game show luck. The Floor combines trivia with a grid-based strategy element. Networks are experimenting with hybrid formats — game shows that don't fit neatly into the old "quiz show" or "pricing game" or "word game" boxes.

What This Means for Fans

If you're a game show enthusiast, 2026 is stacked. You'll have access to beloved classics (Wheel, Jeopardy, Family Feud, Price Is Right), recent hits (The Floor, Hollywood Squares, Deal or No Deal Island), and brand-new experiments. The streaming wars have made quality game show content a competitive advantage, so expect more investment, bigger budgets, and celebrity talent involved.

New Game Show Formats in 2026

The most visible format changes this year are inside the classics rather than in brand-new titles: Wheel of Fortune's 30-second Fortune Frenzy (Season 44), The Price Is Right's live holiday special, set for Sunday, Dec. 13 (8:00-9:00pm, ET/PT) on CBS, and Wild Wheel Wednesdays (Season 55), Family Feud's Fast Money worth up to $50,000 for its 50th anniversary, and Jeopardy!'s postseason qualification reset. Among newer formats, The Floor (grid-based trivia), The Greatest Average American (guessing how everyday Americans think and live), and the ESPN edition of Jeopardy! hosted by Joe Buck are the ones to watch.

Fall 2026 Update (September 5, 2026)

A lot has happened since this guide was first published in March. Deal or No Deal Island was cancelled by NBC in December 2025; a revival of the classic studio version is being shopped to networks, with nothing announced as of September 2026. Wheel of Fortune opens Season 44 on September 14 with a new 30-second Fortune Frenzy round and an interim announcer following Jim Thornton's exit. Jeopardy! returns the same night with a refreshed set, and Family Feud celebrates its 50th anniversary starting September 28 with Fast Money worth up to $50,000. On the celebrity side, Ben Affleck and Jamie Ding won $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in July. For every date in one place, see our fall 2026 premiere guide.

Sources (checked October 2026): ABC, fall premiere dates; TV Series Finale (Celebrity Wheel of Fortune renewal); BuzzerBlog, homepage (background only); CBS, Hollywood Squares premiere; CBS, Hollywood Squares episode dates; TVLine, Island cancellation; Peacock, David Genat’s win; Sony Pictures Television, streaming agreements; Amazon, Celebrity spinoff and original creators; FOX, The Floor format; The A.V. Club, Card Sharks cancellation; CBS, daytime season announcements; CBS, The Price Is Right Live; Family Feud, anniversary plans; ESPN, Jeopardy! launch; Deseret News, Affleck and Ding recap; TVLine, Thornton departure and interim announcer

Corrected October 4, 2026: Martin Short's Match Game premiered in July 2025, not 2026; Celebrity Wheel of Fortune's summer episodes streamed on Disney+ and Hulu; The Greatest Average American is now described as ABC describes it; the Netflix and Price Is Right lines are updated. Sources: ABC (Match Game), ABC (The Greatest Average American), ABC (Celebrity Wheel of Fortune), Netflix Tudum, Museum of Play.

Updated October 13, 2026: Live holiday special date added from CBS's announcement.

Also corrected October 4, 2026: Hollywood Squares’ second season began with two holiday episodes on December 22, 2025 (CBS).