Amazon teams with MrBeast for reality competition series with $5 million prize

Amazon teams with MrBeast for reality competition series with $5 million prize

Amazon.com Inc. is bringing MrBeast, one of the internet’s most popular video creators, to its streaming service.

On Monday, Amazon’s Prime Video and MGM Studios announced a new reality competition series from the massively popular YouTube personality. “Beast Games” will feature 1,000 competitors vying for a $5 million cash prize — “the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming,” according to Amazon.

The series will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories.

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, will serve as host and executive producer of the series. “I’ll reveal more later this year but let’s just say, it’s gonna be an insane show,” the 25-year-old tweeted Monday.

“We are excited to work with Jimmy and his talented team to bring his brilliant, high production and stakes-raising concepts to ‘Beast Games’ for our global customers to experience,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement.

Netflix currently holds the record for the biggest reality competition series, with last year’s “Squid Game: The Challenge,” in which 456 people competed for a $4.56 million cash prize. MrBeast did his own version of “Squid Game,” with a $456,000 prize, in 2022.

MrBeast’s YouTube channel has 245 million subscribers — with an additional 100 million followers on TikTok and 50 million on Instagram — and his viral videos routinely rack up more than 100 million views apiece. He’s best known for carrying out elaborate stunts and challenges — such as being buried alive and adopting every dog in a shelter — as well as his philanthropic efforts, which have included paying for patients’ cataract surgery and distributing 15 million free meals around the world through his charitable organization.

“My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms,” Donaldson said in a statement Monday. “Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen. I hope to make the YouTube community proud.”

Puck News first reported the pending deal in January, and estimated its value at about $100 million. Amazon did not disclose the deal’s price Monday.

Donaldson told Time Magazine earlier this year that he makes between $600 million and $700 million a year. “Each video does a couple million in ad revenue, a couple million in brand deals,” he told Time, adding that he reinvests the money into his lavish productions.