NBC milking NFL Football for all it

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NBC execs are hoping they may actually have some new hit shows hitting the airwaves next month, but they know that they have one ratings monster returning – NFL Football. In the run-up the new season, the Peacock Network is even trying a game-show tie-in to latch onto some football ratings magic by featuring NFL players.
 
NBC’s “Minute To Win It,” will air special NFL themed episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 7th and 8th (8-9 pm ET). That leads up to “NFL Opening Kickoff 2010 Presented by EA Sports,” which airs on NBC on Thursday, September 9th (beginning at 7:30 pm ET).


The players in the NFL episodes include New Orleans Saints Pierre Thomas and Robert Meachem and Minnesota Vikings Anthony Herrera, Visanthe Shiancoe and Bernard Barrien. Thomas and Shiancoe will team up together to win money for their respective charities – United Way for Greater New Orleans Area, The Children’s Hospital, Inc., New Orleans and National Kidney Foundation of the National Capital Area, Inc. and National Kidney Foundation of Minnesota, Inc. Bernard Barrien will play with cheerleader Amber Wright from the San Francisco 49ers cheerleading squad “Gold Rush.” They will play for their respective charities Second Harvest Heartland and Bay Area Women’s Sport Initiative. Later, Meachem and Herrera will team up to play for their respective charities as well: Boys & Girls Club of Greater New Orleans, Indian Nations Football Conference and Boys & Girls Club of Collier County.

NBC launches the NFL season with “NFL Opening Kickoff 2010 Presented By EA Sports,” the video game company, on Thursday, September 9th, featuring performances by Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift live from New Orleans, followed by the Kickoff game when the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game.

“Sunday Night Football” and “Football Night in America” officially debut on NBC on Sunday, September 12th, when the Washington Redskins host the Dallas Cowboys in one of sports’ most storied rivalries. 

“Minute to Win It” airs new episodes Tuesdays and Wednesdays (8-9 pm ET) this summer and is hosted by All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri. The show features competitors participating in a series of simple, yet nerve-wracking, games that can lead to a $1 million prize.  In each one-hour episode, competitors face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items. Each game has a one-minute time limit and failure to finish the task on time will eliminate the contestant.  At various points throughout the game, the competitor can walk away with the money earned up to that point – but it’ll take nerves of steel to complete all 10 tasks to win $1 million.  The competitors, who come from all walks of life, are shown several games prior to the competition and are encouraged to practice these one-of-a-kind challenges at home.

“Minute to Win It” is produced by Universal Media Studios with Friday Television. Craig Plestis, Tim Puntillo, Mattias Olsson and Jock Millgardh serve as executive producers.   

RBR-TVBR observation: Is anyone ever going to actually win the $1 million top prize in this game? Did NBC make it too difficult and possibly drive away viewers with the repeated disappointment, or is it building interest toward the day when someone manages to get through the entire challenge?