# Wake up to Pinball **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2008-01-10 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/gma.html --- ## Analysis Stern Pinball secured a segment on ABC's Good Morning America (January 18, 2008) timed to the 60th anniversary of the flipper invention. Josh and Zach Sharp brought multiple Stern machines to the studio, and Stern created a custom Good Morning America-themed pinball machine based on Family Guy with the show's four anchors replacing game characters. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Good Morning America aired a 15-minute pinball segment on Friday January 18, 2008 between 7am-9am EST — _Article explicitly states the date, duration, and time window of the television appearance._ - [HIGH] The segment was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the invention of the flipper — _Article directly states this as the timing rationale for the GMA feature._ - [HIGH] Josh and Zach Sharp appeared on the show representing Stern Pinball — _Article names them as the Stern representatives bringing machines to the studio._ - [HIGH] Stern created a custom Good Morning America pinball machine based on the Family Guy design — _Article describes custom backglass, artwork with GMA logo, and replacement of Family Guy characters with the four show anchors (Sam Champion, Chris Cuomo, Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer)._ ### Notable Quotes > "Pinball will be making an appearance on network breakfast television next week when it features in a segment on the Good Morning America programme." > — **Article author**, Opening paragraph > _Sets up the main news hook: national television exposure for pinball during morning drive-time._ > "Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the invention of the flipper, the 15 minute feature will air on Friday January 18th between 7am and 9am EST." > — **Article author**, Second paragraph > _Provides specific details on timing, duration, and rationale for the TV appearance._ > "The regular Family Guy characters of Peter, Brian, Chris, Meg and Lois on the playfield will be exchanged for models of the anchors who will be invited to show their flipper skills to a national audience." > — **Article author**, Final paragraph > _Describes the personalization strategy for the custom machine, making it interactive and relevant to the show's hosts._ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Good Morning America | organization | ABC network breakfast television program that aired the 15-minute pinball segment on January 18, 2008. | | Stern Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer that supplied games and created a custom machine for the GMA appearance. | | Josh Sharp | person | Representative of Stern Pinball who appeared on Good Morning America with pinball machines. | | Zach Sharp | person | Representative of Stern Pinball who appeared on Good Morning America with pinball machines. | | Spider-Man | game | Stern pinball machine brought to the GMA studio for on-air play. | | Pirates of the Caribbean | game | Stern pinball machine brought to the GMA studio for on-air play. | | World Poker Tour | game | Stern pinball machine brought to the GMA studio for on-air play. | | Family Guy pinball machine | game | Stern game that served as the base design for the custom Good Morning America pinball machine. | | Sam Champion | person | Good Morning America anchor whose likeness replaced Family Guy characters on the custom machine. | | Chris Cuomo | person | Good Morning America anchor whose likeness replaced Family Guy characters on the custom machine. | | Robin Roberts | person | Good Morning America anchor whose likeness replaced Family Guy characters on the custom machine. | | Diane Sawyer | person | Good Morning America anchor whose likeness replaced Family Guy characters on the custom machine. | ### Topics - **Primary:** National media coverage of pinball, Flipper anniversary milestone (60 years), Stern Pinball marketing and promotion - **Secondary:** Custom machine creation and personalization ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — The article presents pinball in a favorable light with national television exposure. The tone is promotional and celebratory regarding the 60th anniversary milestone and Stern's success in securing prime-time morning TV coverage. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Pinball industry leveraging a cultural milestone (60th anniversary of flipper invention) to secure national broadcast media coverage, indicating proactive promotion of pinball history. (confidence: high) — Article states the segment was 'timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the invention of the flipper,' demonstrating deliberate scheduling to maximize relevance. - **[event_signal]** Stern Pinball secured a 15-minute segment on ABC's Good Morning America during prime morning television time, timed to the 60th anniversary of the flipper invention. (confidence: high) — Article explicitly confirms the GMA appearance on January 18, 2008, between 7am-9am EST with Josh and Zach Sharp representing Stern. - **[market_signal]** Stern created a custom branded machine (Good Morning America/Family Guy hybrid) for television exposure, demonstrating strategic use of personalized machines for mainstream media appearances. (confidence: high) — Article describes custom backglass, artwork with GMA logo, and replacement of game characters with show anchors to make the machine relevant to the broadcast and audience. --- ## Transcript Date: 10th January 2008. Pinball will be making an appearance on network breakfast television next week when it features in a segment on the Good Morning America programme. Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the invention of the flipper, the 15 minute feature will air on Friday January 18th between 7am and 9am EST. Josh and Zach Sharpe will appear with a selection of Stern pinball machines for the show's four anchors to play including Spider-Man, Pirates Of The Caribbean and World Poker Tour. But apart from supplying games for the studio, Stern have also created a custom Good Morning America pinball machine for the show. Based on the Family Guy design, the machine will have a custom backglass and game artwork featuring the show's logo and the presenters Sam Champion, Chris Cuomo, Robin Roberts, and Diane Sawyer. The regular Family Guy characters of Peter, Brian, Chris, Meg and Lois on the playfield will be exchanged for models of the anchors who will be invited to show their flipper skills to a national audience. If you miss the segment, it may subsequently be available to view on the show's website at: abcnews.go.com/GMA Back to the News page Back to the front page _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 75a8885f-c53c-4d83-a911-e2c5c44387f1*