| Hosts | |
| Howard Cosell Tony Potts Mike Greenberg Joe Tessitore | |
| Co-Hosts | |
| Telly Savalas Bruce Jenner Suzanne Somers Frank Gifford Billy Crystal Joyce Dewitt Cathy Lee Crosby Erin Gray Lee Majors Randi Oakes Debbie Allen Morgan Fairchild Robert Conrad Donna Mills Scott Baio Debby Boone Joan Van Ark Dick Van Dyke Shari Belafonte Cassidy Hubbarth Cari Champion | |
| Celebrity Team Captains (2017 Version) | |
| Marcus Ware (Blue Team) Ronda Rousey (Red Team) | |
| Broadcast | |
    | |
| Packagers | |
| Trans World International/ABC Sports Glassman Media IMG Media | |
Battle of the Network Stars was a series featuring TV stars from all three major networks (except the 2003 and 2017 versions respectively) competing in a series of sports competitions even though it aired on ABC.
Format[]
1976-1988[]
In the days of just the "big three", each network was represented by eight or nine of its stars from various series, and one of those people from each team would be elected to serve as the network's team captain.
Some of the events were modeled after those used on The Superstars, another Trans World-ABC production that featured athletes from all sports competing against each other for an overall title. Regular events included swimming, kayaking, volleyball, golf, tennis, bowling (on custom-made outdoor lanes), cycling, 3-on-3 football, the baseball dunk, running, and the obstacle course. Also featured as a regular event was a game of "Simon Says", directed by Catskill hotel Grossinger's entertainer Lou Goldstein.[1] Each network received points based on how it performed in the event.
After the regular events were over, the lowest scoring network was eliminated from further competition and the two remaining networks determined the day's winner with a tug of war.
2017[]
Due to the fact that there are now tons of networks (broadcast & cable), the format was altered a bit.
This time there are just two teams (red & blue) of five celebrities arranged by category or genre. Each one has a celebrity coach. They competed in ten events, some of them carried over from the original. This time around, the events are worth a flat value, with one point awarded for the earlier events, five in the obstacle course and ten for the tug of war.
Classic Matches[]
- November 13, 1976
- February 28, 1977
- November 4, 1977
- May 7, 1978
- November 18, 1978
- May 7, 1979
- November 2, 1979
- May 4, 1980
- December 5, 1980
- May 8, 1981
- November 20, 1981
- May 5, 1982
- October 1, 1982
- May 4, 1983
- November 3, 1983
- May 3, 1984
- December 20, 1984
- May 23, 1985
- December 10, 1988
2017[]
- Hosts: Mike Greenberg & Joe Tessitore
- Co-Hosts: Cassidy Hubbarth & Cari Champion
- Team Captains: Ronda Rousey & DeMarcus Ware
For team players, click here.
Events[]
- Running Relay - 1 point
- Swimming Relay (2-on-2) - 1 point
- Kayak Relay (2-on-2) - 1 point
- Baseball Dunk - 1 point/hit
- Soccer (target practice) - 1 point
- Basketball (3-point shooting) - 1 point
- Tennis (service return) - 1 point
- Archery - 1 point
- Golf (closest to pin) - 1 point
- Obstacle Course (women then men) - 5 points each
- Tug-O-War - 10 point (a bonus of five can be added if the margin is more than 10 points)
Gallery[]
References[]
Similar Shows[]
Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes
Star Games
Spinoff[]
Battle of The Network Reality Stars
Battle of the Gridiron Stars
Link[]
Official Site of the 2017 version
| ABC Summer Fun & Games | |||||||
| 2015 |
Celebrity Family Feud (2015-present) | ||||||
| 2016 |
To Tell the Truth (2016-present) • The $100,000 Pyramid (2016-present) • Match Game (2016-2021) | ||||||
| 2017 |
Steve Harvey's Funderdome • Boy Band • Battle of the Network Stars (2017) • The Gong Show (2017) | ||||||
| 2018 |
None | ||||||
| 2019 |
Press Your Luck (2019-present) • Card Sharks (2019-2021) • Holey Moley • Family Food Fight | ||||||
| 2020 | |||||||
| 2021 | |||||||
| 2022 | |||||||
| 2023 |
None |
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