Many Jeopardy! fans could be left disappointed when attempting to watch the show on Thursday and Friday, as it is set to be preempted across a number of U.S. markets.
The long-running syndicated quiz show has been a primetime staple on ABC's affiliates and owned-and-operated stations for decades. All-time Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings hosts the primetime show, while Mayim Bialik presents the tournaments.
However, trivia enthusiasts hoping to tune in for another round of Jeopardy! contestants facing off against one another may see some unfamiliar faces on Thursday and Friday, as the show could be replaced by the 2023 NFL Draft.
Millions of NFL fans are set to watch as the next set of football stars will find out where their professional careers will begin.
This year, the event will take place at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, with the city on a high after the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LVII.
Running from Thursday, April 27, to Saturday, April 29, there will be seven rounds to the draft and it will all be aired live on several TV channels and live-streamed online at various sites.
All seven draft rounds will air live across ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, with Spanish-language coverage available on ESPN Deportes.
There will be distinct programs on the different networks with ABC and ESPN combining to broadcast coverage and commentary on the third day.
With the first three rounds of the draft airing from 8 p.m. ET on Thursday and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, the sports-focused broadcast will clash with the regular Jeopardy! schedule in numerous markets. In those affected areas, it will instead air at a later time. Viewers are advised to check their local listings.
When the news was shared on the Jeopardy! subreddit, incoming contestant Kevin Belle lamented the schedule affecting his debut on the show.
"I'm on Friday's show and I live in the DC market, so I was a bit bummed," he wrote. "But it's all good, I will still find a way to watch with a few friends. I'm grateful I at least had some warning and it wasn't like breaking news or a storm or something."
Belle, who is a trail planner from Silver Spring, Maryland, took to Instagram earlier this month to share a photo of himself posing with Jeopardy! host Jennings.
"It's an absolute dream come true," he captioned the image. "That's me with freaking Ken Jennings!! On the Alex Trebek Stage!! My heart hasn't slowed down ever since."
Jeopardy! broadcasts have, for years, been affected by large-scale events. Back in 2021, when a host of celebrities guest-hosted the show as producers sought a new permanent presenter, LeVar Burton famously scored the lowest ratings of all.
During his week at the lectern, which aired in the final week of July, Burton was forced to compete with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games—which trampled syndicated shows across the board.
The delayed international sporting event ran fan from July 23 until August 8 that year, meaning that Burton's entire week was overshadowed by Olympics coverage.
While the Games chipped away at the numbers, things were made worse on July 27—Burton's second day at the lectern—when the first hearing of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot aired.
On July 29—Burton's penultimate day on the show—another dent to daytime TV was made by President Joe Biden's announcement of new measures to boost COVID vaccinations, amid the spread of the Delta variant. Hours later on the same day, the NBA Draft also drew viewers in big numbers.
Uncommon Knowledge
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