NBC Pulls the Plug on Deal or No Deal Island After Just Two Seasons
NBC has axed Deal or No Deal Island after two seasons, ending Joe Manganiello’s high-stakes spin-off of Deal or No Deal where contestants battled through grueling mental and physical challenges.
Well, that was quick. NBC has pulled the plug on 'Deal or No Deal Island' after two seasons. If you were into the whole briefcases-on-a-beach thing, consider this your heads up.
So, what happened?
Deadline reports that Comcast-owned NBC is not moving forward with a third season. It is hard to call this shocking: season 2 averaged a 0.24 rating in adults 18-49 per Nielsen, which was down from season 1. The second season premiered in January 2025, following the show’s launch back in February 2024.
Quick refresher: what was this version?
'Deal or No Deal Island' was a reality competition spin on the classic game show, hosted by Joe Manganiello. It took the bones of the original Dutch format and rebuilt it for an island setting, mixing physical and mental challenges with the familiar Banker mind games. It was a full-on retool, not just a beach day for the briefcases.
How the game actually worked
- Instead of a studio, the island was dotted with briefcases holding a combined total of more than $200 million in prize money, split across the cases.
- Each episode, players battled through physical and mental challenges to claim the cases that would feed into that night’s main game.
- Whoever ended up with the highest-value case got immunity and had the power to send a rival to 'The Temple.'
- In 'The Temple,' that chosen player faced a classic round of 'Deal or No Deal' against the Banker.
- Make a bad deal? You were out on the spot. Make a good deal? You suddenly got to decide who goes home.
- Whatever money came out of the game was added to a shared pot that grew exponentially as the season went on.
- The Banker kept poking at everyone’s strategy and greed along the way, raising the stakes when it hurt the most.
Behind the scenes
The series came from Endemol Shine North America. Executive producers included Joe Manganiello, Matt Kunitz, Vittoria Cacciatore, Jeffrey Breeden, Howie Mandel, and Endemol Shine North America’s Sharon Levy, Michael Heyerman, and Sean Loughlin.
Where to watch
If you want to catch up or revisit the chaos, both seasons of 'Deal or No Deal Island' are currently streaming on Peacock.