Ryan Seacrest gets new gig as host for NBC’s ‘Million Second Quiz’

Congratulations NBC! You just won Ryan Seacrest as the host of your new game show, Million Second Quiz. Nearly a month after reports first surfaced that the American Idol host would work on the network’s ambitious game show, NBC finally made it official on Monday.

Last month, it was first reported that Seacrest may host the show, but since it is based in New York, there was some speculation that he might not get to do it. He records his ClearChannel radio show in Los Angeles, plus he also has to host American Idol. However, Million Second Quiz will only last 12 days (11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds to be exact) and starts on Sept. 9, before Idol gets moving. The show will wrap on Thursday, Sept. 19.

“When people see Ryan Seacrest, whether at the Emmys, the Oscars or New Year’s Eve, he is at the epicenter of national events” Paul Telegdy, NBC’s president of alternative and late night programming, confirmed in a statement. “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.”

Seacrest added, “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.”

Million Second Quiz features players facing off in a giant hourglass structure in midtown Manhattan. The players will answer trivia as they try to get in the ‘money chair.’ Any player in the ‘money chair’ wins $10 per second, earning a chance to win over $1 million. Players can also make it to the ‘money chair’ by going through physical challenges in the hourglass or by answering questions from home, giving people around the country a chance to win money.

While Seacrest does host Idol for Fox, he has worked with NBCUniversal before, since he produces Keeping Up With The Kardashians and other reality shows for the E! network. He also hosts ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

image: NBCUniversal