Ryan Seacrest to Host New NBC Game Show THE MILLION SECOND QUIZ

Emmy Award-winning producer and host Ryan Seacrest has been tapped as host of NBC's unique, fast-paced live interactive game show "The Million Second Quiz." The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, NBC's president of alternative and late night programming.

"When people see Ryan Seacrest, whether at the Emmys, the Oscars or New Year's Eve, he is at the epicenter of national events" said Telegdy. "He is a broadcaster, in all the traditional sense, but also in the most contemporary -- he is an accomplished host of live TV and a master of social media and pop culture. This makes him perfect for 'The Million Second Quiz.'"

"I'm so excited to be hosting this new live game show on NBC, as it's really a fun and different format that I believe will generate lots of fans across different platforms," said Ryan Seacrest. "I'm looking forward to working with the other producers and everyone at NBC to make the show a success."

"The Million Second Quiz" premieres Monday, Sept. 9 (8-9 p.m. ET) and continues through Saturday, Sept. 14 in that same 8 p.m. hour. It will then resume on Monday, Sept. 16 and will air each night (8-9 p.m. ET) until the finale on Thursday, Sept. 19 (8-10 p.m. ET) when the winner will claim the largest guaranteed prize in game show history. "The Million Second Quiz" is produced by All3 Media America, Studio Lambert and Universal Television. Stephen Lambert, Eli Holzman, David A. Hurwitz and Seacrest serve as executive producers.

The concept for the show involves contestants playing head-to-head trivia bouts inside a massive outdoor hourglass-shaped structure in midtown Manhattan and competing non-stop for a million seconds (11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds). Each bout consists of one player sitting in the "money chair," accumulating as much time on the chair as possible by answering trivia questions against a rival sitting in an opposite chair. Each second a player holds the money chair is worth $10, potentially earning millions. Those who want to face off against the person sitting in the money chair can do so by physically coming down to the hourglass or by successfully answering questions online using their mobile devices or home computers.

Seacrest holds preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, nationally syndicated radio and local radio. He has a groundbreaking agreement with NBCUniversal that includes on-air broadcasting and producing duties across the NBC and E! networks. He is also celebrated internationally as host of the top-rated primetime talent showcase "American Idol" on Fox and also serves as an executive producer and host of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" on ABC. On radio, Seacrest is host of "On Air with Ryan Seacrest," his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time show for Clear Channel's 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally-syndicated Top 40 radio show.

Seacrest launched Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP) in 2006, which has since become an Emmy-winning television production powerhouse creating unscripted, scripted and digital programming. RSP produces the E! hit series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and spin-offs "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami" and "Khloe and Lamar." RSP produces "Married to Jonas," "The Wanted Life" for E!, "Shahs of Sunset" on Bravo, "Montecito" for A&E, "How I Rock It" for Esquire, and "Superstar Showdown" for Telemundo. RSP is also producing "Mixology," a new scripted series for ABC, as well as "The Restart Project," a digital series for AOL. The company also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."

Seacrest is also an entrepreneur, investing in media and entertainment companies: he recently made an investment in Civic Entertainment Group, a marketing services company, as well as in the new cable channel, AXS TV. He also has made investments in startups including Pinterest and FlightCar. His philanthropic efforts are focused on youth-oriented initiatives, including serving as Chairman of The Ryan Seacrest Foundation and Honorary Chair of the Grammy Foundation. Seacrest began in his career in his hometown of Atlanta and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Photo Timothy White/NBC

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