Amazon Prime Video has committed to turning a popular YouTube series from influencer MrBeast into a bonafide game show called “Beast Games” that will air in 240 countries and offer its winner US$5 million (AUD$7.6m) in cash—the largest single prize of any television show in history.
Key facts
- “Beast Games” was ordered to series by Prime Video on Monday, Amazon announced, and will pit 1,000 contestants against each other in contests similar in format to the mega-popular influencer’s YouTube challenges.
- The challenges, which include things ranging from building the world’s largest Lego tower to being buried alive for 50 hours, have made Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast) one of the most popular influencers of all time and skyrocketed him to the top of Forbes’ list of highest-paid creators—he nets an estimated $54 million per year.
- Prime Video said the series will copy Donaldson’s “fast-paced and high-production format” but otherwise kept details underwraps, only saying the company was “blown away by his ambition to make ‘Beast Games’ the biggest reality competition series ever.”
Crucial quote
“My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms,” Donaldson said in a statement. “Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen.”
Key background
Donaldson, 25, started making YouTube videos when he was 13 years old and has since amassed a following of more than 300 million subscribers, making his channel one of the most-watched on the platform.
He’s used his popularity and substantial earnings—Forbes in 2022 estimated him to have a net worth of $500 million— to build an empire that includes Feastables snack bars, an extensive line of merchandise and the MrBeast Burgers restaurant chain.
Donaldson is also vocal about his philanthropic missions, which have included a $3 million donation to Ukrainian refugees and $300,000 given to students in need.
Big number
588.7 million. That’s how many views the most popular video has on MrBeast’s YouTube Channel.
The video is a 25-minute recreation of the game show in Netflix’s popular “Squid Game” series that saw 456 people compete to win $446,000. The video broke YouTube’s record for the most views in 24 hours on a non-music video.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
