Six Months In, Diginet Buzzr Ups Its Reach

Just one year after being announced at NATPE 2015 and six months since launching, Buzzr, FremantleMedia North America’s retro game show network, distributed by Debmar-Mercury, has more than doubled its market reach.

With the addition of Boston on WLVI’s ch. 56.2, Buzzr now has clearances in all top 10 DMAs and is available to 60% of U.S. households, with further growth anticipated throughout 2016, according to Ron Garfield, Buzzr’s EVP and general manager.

“The enduring popularity of vintage game shows is evident from Buzzr achieving such major milestones in a very short amount of time,” Garfield said. “We are excited to have expanded the network so rapidly and are fortunate to have a phenomenal group of broadcast and station partners. We have worked together to build Buzzr into a place where a truly multigenerational audience can come together for a fun, entertaining and nostalgic trip through some of the best game shows ever made.”

Buzzr — in addition to its extensive retro game show content including classic hits such as Match Game, Beat the Clock, Let’s Make a Deal, Password and Family Feud — has developed a fan base through the network’s programming initiatives, it says. This past year, Buzzr offered Lost & Found, which brought back to television vintage pilot episodes that were once sentenced to the cutting room floor, as well as last month’s A Betty White Christmas special holiday programming, featuring a compilation of episodes all including the First Lady of Game Shows, Betty White.

Heading into the sophomore year of the network, Buzzr says it plans to create a story arc celebrating the 75th anniversary of the television game show genre. The first game show to air on broadcast television was Truth or Consequences in 1941. Since then, game shows have become a tried and true form of entertainment around the globe, with Buzzr offering fans a comprehensive look at this entertaining 75-year history.  Buzzr will let fans experience game shows through the decades — providing a time capsule featuring some of the best hosts, panels and contestants to appear within the genre.

Kicking off the New Year, Buzzr will continue to expand its programming by unlocking new episodes from the network’s vault of content.

In addition, the network will honor the country’s largest sporting event by airing special Super Bowl content. On Super Bowl Sunday, viewers will have the opportunity to tune-in to Buzzr to catch the first Buzzr Bowl, vintage Family Feud episodes from the 1980s featuring the renowned Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders taking on the Dallas Cowboy football players, as well as the AFC quarterbacks going head-to-head with the NFC quarterbacks.

In March, Buzzr will premiere Buzzr Brackets, a March Madness-style sweepstakes tournament that will allow viewers to submit their chosen bracket, culminating in the crowning of the greatest game show host of all time.  The fun will then continue throughout the year with additional promotions as Buzzr continues their celebration of 75-years of game show history.