There are deals discussed all around the world all of the time. From outlets citing Donald Trump’s ‘The Art of the Deal’ book, to the UK government scratching away to try and get new trade deals in the wake of Brexit, major deals continue to take hit the news worldwide. However, the real question is: what happened to the peoples’ deals?
Deal or No Deal was the show of the people, with its simple guessing game captivating audiences and potentially rewarding its lucky players with millions in prize money. So, where is Deal or No Deal now, and what happened to its regular TV slots across the globe?
Deal or No Deal still going strong, but without the TV cameras
Its TV spot may have vanished into thin air, but the Deal or No Deal game is still very much alive and well online. Playing through the same format of picking a lucky box, opening others, and dealing with the banker, the real-money game offers the same thrills as the TV show. Of course, with a game that’s playable via a smartphone or computer, you’re always the one picking the boxes instead of having to wait your turn.
In an almost ironic turn, the Deal or No Deal game is a gambling game. You place your bet – the size of which determines the box rewards available – and then play through your choices to find your prize. One of the reasons why the game show came under the spotlight in the UK – where it won awards and broke records for viewership – was because some perceived the luck-based game as being gambling. Now, the game is happy to come under that banner to appeal to online players.
Where did the Deal or No Deal show go?
In the United States, CNBC’s rendition of Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel was must-watch TV for a time. Using cases of cash opened by dazzling models, the game show premiered in 2005 on NBC, running for five seasons, which included a revival season in 2018. Since the end of its first run, which ended in 2009, the game garnered more attention from one of its models, Megan Markle, marrying into the British royal family.
In 2019, the game show met the same fate as it has done in many regions of the world: it was canceled by CNBC in 2020. Since 2016, Deal or No Deal shows have been axed en masse, despite their historic high ratings. Four years ago, the UK’s show that started in 2005 came to an end, which was followed in 2017 by the end of Italy’s 14-year-old program and Vietnam’s version, which premiered in 2005. In 2018, 13 years on Bulgarian television also came to an end.
That said, some nations have stuck with their version of the money-finding game show, including its native land, the Netherlands. The original version of Deal or No Deal, Miljoenenjacht, has just celebrated its 20th anniversary, with its top prize standing at €5 million. Brazil’s 2006-born show Topa ou Não Topa continues to air.
The game show may have faded from several of its longest-running jurisdictions, but those who always wanted to play Deal or No Deal can do so at any time with the online game.
