New York Times Games and in-theater advertising company Screenvision announced a partnership bringing interactive games like Wordle and Spelling Bee to movie theater pre-show screens. The games are set to roll out nationwide by Thanksgiving.
The deal marks the first time NYT Games has put an interactive play-along experience in front of movie audiences. It is a one-year agreement between the two companies, Variety reported.
What Was Announced
Screenvision, which runs advertising and pre-show content in theaters, will carry NYT Games titles including Wordle and Spelling Bee before showtimes. Screenvision Media CEO Geoff Schiller said the format turns moviegoing into something more active for audiences.
“Cinema has become one of the most powerful places for premium content to reach audiences because it combines scale, unparalleled attention and shared experience in a way no other platform can,” Schiller said, according to Variety. “We’re proud to partner exclusively with The New York Times to bring NYT Games to moviegoers nationwide, creating a first-of-its-kind experience that transforms the theater into a place not just to watch, but to participate.”
Amy Weisenbach, chief marketing officer for The New York Times, framed the deal as an extension of habits already built into millions of daily routines.
“New York Times Games has become a shared daily ritual for millions of people, sparking conversation, connection and a little friendly competition,” Weisenbach said, per Variety. “Working with Screenvision gives us an exciting and unexpected way to bring that experience to the big screen, inviting moviegoers across the country to play together and discover more of what NYT Games has to offer.”
What It Means For Moviegoers
For fans who already open Wordle or Spelling Bee on their phones every morning, the pre-show slot at the theater becomes another place to play, this time as a group activity before the trailers start. Audiences nationwide should start seeing the games appear on screen by Thanksgiving, per the companies’ timeline.
NYT Games also plans to use the pre-show window to introduce moviegoers to features beyond the daily puzzles they already know, including Bonus Puzzles, by letting people try them out in the theater rather than just hearing about them through an app update.
Context Behind The Deal
The partnership leans on the reach NYT Games has built through its daily puzzles, which the company’s own marketing chief described as a shared ritual for millions of players. Screenvision’s pitch centers on cinema as a captive, attentive audience, a selling point Schiller tied directly to the decision to work exclusively with the Times on this format.
Variety reported the companies intend to keep the pre-show games content current, refreshing it regularly and testing additional formats as the one-year deal plays out.
What’s Next
The nationwide rollout is scheduled for Thanksgiving, giving theater chains and NYT Games a few weeks to finalize which screens and showtimes carry the new pre-show content. Specific participating theater chains beyond the Angelika announcement site had not been detailed as of the announcement.
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