'American Ninja Warrior' Sets Up 2017 Host Cities

American Ninja Warrior, the summer competition series from NBC and Esquire Network, has set up its host cities for the 2017 season. American Ninja Warrior (ANW) will compete in Los Angeles March 7-8, San Antonio March 26-27, Daytona, Fla. April 7-8, Kansas City April 24-25, Cleveland May 8-9 and Denver May 23-24. 

The finals happen in Las Vegas June 19-24. The top 15 competitors from each city move onto Vegas, where they face a course modeled after the Mt. Midoriyama course in Japan. The winner will take home $1 million. 

American Ninja Warrior is hosted by Matt Iseman, along with former NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila and co-host Kristine Leahy. 

ANW is based on the Tokyo Broadcasting System Television series Sasuke, which is in its 31st season in Japan.

Original episodes of ANW on NBC and are repeated on Esquire Network, on which the series enters its ninth season.

Last summer, ANW averaged a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 and 7.2 million viewer overall, according to live plus seven day averages from Nielsen. 

The show is produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions for NBC/Esquire Network. It is executive produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions’ founders Arthur Smith and Kent Weed, along with Brian Richardson and Anthony Storm.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.