Does $1 million appear to be an underwhelming reward for the participant who outwits, outplays, and outlasts on Survivor? And would possibly the CBS competitors sequence up the ante for its upcoming fiftieth season?
The Hollywood Reporter poses these questions in an article about actuality TV prizes and inflation. When Survivor premiered, the present’s $1 million award went rather a lot additional than it does in the present day — $1 million now could be value $534,850 in 2000’s shopping for energy, in keeping with Bureau of Labor Statistics information cited by THR.
Different community TV actuality competitions, alternatively, have raised their prize quantities — High Chef‘s jackpot has gone from $100,000 to $250,000, for instance. However Survivor has caught to its $1 million prize for each season however Season 40 a.okay.a. Winners at Conflict, when the quantity was doubled.
On streaming TV, in the meantime, the payouts are sometimes a lot bigger. Beast Video games contestants vied for $10 million, and co-creator and host Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson even referred to as out different actuality competitors’s lesser prizes.
“I needed to throw a bit of diss on the regular reveals,” he stated in a behind-the-scenes video, per THR. “A $1 million greenback grand prize? … I gave away $1 million within the first minute and 42 seconds. That is establishing dominance.”
Don’t anticipate Beast Video games’ grand prize to turn out to be the brand new regular, although. $10 million is an quantity broadcast networks and plenty of streamers would in all probability balk at.
Plus, $1 million is life-changing cash, and the money comes with Survivor‘s immaterial advantages, a supply near the present instructed THR. “$1 million remains to be some huge cash — greater than many different reveals provide — for what’s a lifetime alternative for these lucky to take part,” the supply stated. “The cash isn’t the one motivating issue — the life expertise and private progress is a giant driving pressure for individuals who audition.”
On Reddit, some followers assume Survivor ought to provide extra. “I feel that the winner of Season 50 ought to get $2,000,000,” one Reddit person opined in a current thread. We already know Survivor 50 will let followers vote for sure gameplay parts; maybe the prize quantity can be one in all them.
However different followers say $1 million is ample. “No thought what planet persons are dwelling on or what privilege they need to assume proper now in 2025 that $1 million isn’t a life-changing sum for the overwhelming majority of Individuals,” one Reddit person wrote.
What do you assume? Is the Survivor prize too weak of a windfall? Tell us within the feedback.
Survivor, Wednesdays, 8/7c, CBS
