Last Summer’s #1 New Series Produced by
Talpa Studios’ John de Mol and Eureka Productions
The FOX Television Network has renewed The Quiz with Balls, the network’s hit game show that took last summer’s top spot for new series among the coveted Adults 18-49 demographic, for a second season, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of FOX Television Network. Hosted by actor and comedian Jay Pharoah (SNL, The Blackening), the popular game show pits brains against balls, combining a high stakes quiz show and a large-scale physical competition with each episode featuring two families competing for $100,000 in an epic “battle of the balls.”
“During its first season, The Quiz with Balls really broke through, thanks to a mix of engaging playability, comedic physical stakes, and our terrific host Jay Pharoah, who artfully invites viewers into the fun,” said Thorn. “Not to mention, our long-time production partners at Talpa and Eureka have a few new tricks up their sleeves for Season Two, which made renewing this popular game show a must.”
“We’re incredibly proud that The Quiz with Balls is returning for a second season with FOX,” said John de Mol, owner of Talpa Studios. “The show’s success in the Netherlands has been tremendous, and we were excited to see how well it worked in the U.S. over the summer. This time around, we’re picking up the pace and adding more play-along moments, giving viewers an even more engaging and exciting experience.”
Chris Culvenor, Executive Producer for Eureka added, “We are excited to re-team with FOX and Talpa for a new season of The Quiz with Balls. The show’s large-scale, originality and high stakes have captivated the audience and with Jay Pharoah returning as our brilliant host, Season Two is set to make another big splash.”
Standing on a high platform over a glistening pool, teams must work together as they face a multiple-choice quiz where each answer is allocated to a spot with a giant ball positioned up behind it. If the correct answer is chosen, the ball rolls down and stops just before colliding with the player… if the answer is wrong, the massive ball rapidly descends and mercilessly whacks them into the pool below. The more players each team loses, the harder the questions get. The longer they last, the more money they bank, until one “dry” family member plays the final round for The Quiz with Balls’ $100,000 Grand Prize.
The Quiz with Balls, which made its FOX debut on May 28, 2024, is produced by Eureka Productions and Talpa Studios. John de Mol, Maarten Meijs, Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Wes Dening and Judy Smart serve as executive producers. Anthony Carbone serves as showrunner and executive producer.
About Jay Pharoah
Actor and comedian Jay Pharoah is one of the industry's most highly anticipated leading men. Pharoah most recently appeared in the Toronto International Film Festival triumph, The Blackening, as Shawn. The film sold out of the festival to Lionsgate and was released last year on Juneteenth, grossing over $6 million in its opening weekend and making its production budget back. In the last few years, Pharoah has appeared in the Neil Bogart/Casablanca Records biopic Spinning Gold, Comedy Central’s Out of Office alongside Ken Jeong and Oscar Nuñez, and in the independent comedy Mort In Sherman Oaks with Lucy Hale and Jim Gaffigan. He starred in Netflix’s Resort to Love opposite Cristina Milian for producer Alicia Keys and in the Lionsgate thriller Private Property. Pharoah also co-starred opposite Harry Shum Jr. in Universal’s All My Life, in Justin Simien’s critically acclaimed feature film Bad Hair for Hulu, and in Lionsgate’s 2 Minutes of Fame for director Leslie Small.
On the small screen, Pharoah starred as J.J. Evans in ABC’s Emmy Award-winning Live in Front of a Studio Audience version of All in the Family and Good Times. He previously hosted and produced the hit Nickelodeon game show Unfiltered. Best known for his spot-on impressions, Pharoah spent six seasons as a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. In 2017, he shifted to his first leading role as Floyd Mooney in Showtime’s White Famous, which was executive-produced by Academy Award-winner Jaime Foxx and inspired by Foxx’s real-life experiences.
Additional film and television credits include Sony Pictures’ animated feature, The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane, Universal’s animated feature Sing, CBS Films’ Get a Job, CBS All Access’ Remote, Searchlight’s Lola Versus, FOX’s Family Guy, FOX’s The Simpsons, Netflix’s Bojack Horseman and Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken. In addition to acting and his stand-up, Jay released his first EP titled Spittin Image in August 2021. The tracks are a marriage between Jay’s impressions and his love of songwriting and rapping. All songs are written by Jay and produced by Andrew Hypes. Pharoah continues to headline comedy clubs across the country throughout the year.
About Eureka Productions
Eureka Productions, an award-winning unscripted entertainment company, is headquartered in Los Angeles and Sydney. The company has become one of the TV industry’s fastest growing international producers with a portfolio of over 50 seasons and 600 hours of content for network, streaming, cable and digital platforms in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Eureka’s current U.S. slate includes returning shows such as FOX’s hit game show The Floor, and the U.S. version of Fremantle’s international format Farmer Wants a Wife on FOX, as well as upcoming new series such as international music competition KPOPPED for AppleTV+.
Other recent productions include Stars on Mars for FOX and The Parent Test for ABC (adapted from Eureka’s Australian hit Parental Guidance). Eureka is also known for U.S. hits such as Holey Moley (ABC), Full Bloom (Max), TwentySomethings Austin (Netflix), Frogger (Peacock), Name That Tune (FOX), The Real Dirty Dancing (FOX), Finding Magic Mike (HBO Max), Dating Around (Netflix) and Crikey It’s the Irwins (Discovery). In Australia, Eureka’s slate includes Million Dollar Island for Channel 7, Luxe Listings for Amazon, Byron Baes for Netflix, Amazing Race Australia for Network Ten, Parental Guidance for Nine Network, and many more. In 2022, Eureka also took on the development and production of all Fremantle’s entertainment, reality and game show formats in Australia, including Australian Idol and Farmer Wants a Wife for Seven Network. Eureka Productions is a Fremantle company. For more information, visit eurekagroup.tv.
About Talpa Studios
Talpa Studios, the independent global content house founded by John de Mol, is a dynamic creative powerhouse driving innovation and producing next-level non-scripted formats. With access to premium broadcast and streaming platforms in the Netherlands and Germany, Talpa Studios has solidified its position as a pioneer in the entertainment industry. Committed to its creative mission, Talpa Studios develops, produces and distributes distinctive, impactful formats that captivate audiences worldwide. Its portfolio includes global hits like The Floor (sold in over 20 countries), The Quiz with Balls, and Million Dollar Island, alongside standout titles such as Hunting Season and Marble Mania. Through original formats and an open network strategy focused on creative partnerships with industry leaders, Talpa Studios continues to push boundaries and shape the future of non-scripted entertainment. For more information, visit talpastudios.com.
About FOX Entertainment
With a legacy spanning nearly 40 years, FOX Entertainment is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands and a prolific content producer across its iconic broadcast network and both owned and third-party platforms worldwide. Known for its independent, innovative spirit and provocative, groundbreaking storytelling, the company includes three key business units: FOX Television Network, FOX Entertainment Studios and worldwide content sales and licensing unit FOX Entertainment Global.
While maintaining its leadership in linear television with an exceptional slate of original series – including Doc, Extracted, The Masked Singer, The Floor, The Simpsons, Animal Control, Going Dutch, Murder in a Small Town, Rescue: HI-Surf, The Cleaning Lady, Hell’s Kitchen and LEGO Masters – FOX Entertainment is growing its portfolio of studio engines, business operations and library of owned original content.
To date, the FOX Entertainment Studios division includes the in-house unscripted studio FOX Alternative Entertainment with hits The Masked Singer, I Can See Your Voice and Name That Tune, and its scripted content studio featuring comedies Animal Control and Going Dutch and signature drama series The Way Home and The Chicken Sisters. The unit also oversees the award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment with animated comedies including Krapopolis, Grimsburg, Hazbin Hotel and Universal Basic Guys; entertainment platform TMZ with its tentpole primetime series TMZ Investigates; its new independent film label Tideline Entertainment with inaugural releases including First Time Female Director, Ponyboi and Slanted; and the culinary and lifestyle content venture Studio Ramsay Global in partnership with iconic chef Gordon Ramsay, featuring food-themed original series on FOX such as Next Level Chef, Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, as well as the new next-gen global food brand and entertainment platform Bite, Being Gordon Ramsay on Netflix and No Taste Like Home on Disney+.
As a global content creator and production partner, FOX Entertainment Studios collaborates with studios and platforms worldwide, including Disney/Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures Television, Prime Video, Netflix, Apple+, Hallmark, TelevisaUnivision, UK’s Channel 4, France’s TF1, German’s ProSieben, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia’s Foxtel and FOX-owned streamer Tubi.