As the big streamers scramble to secure rights to sporting events, Amazon Prime is doubling down on game show content, as well as a decidedly traditional style of programming.
Prime Video has revealed a new programming block of four game shows, starting with Are You Smarter than A Celebrity? that’s hosted by Travis Kelce and is set to debut on October 16. A total of 20 episodes have been scheduled. Taking a cue from linear TV programming blocks like Must See TV Thursdays in the nineties, Prime will stream new episodes the game shows at the same time every week. They are calling the the virtual programming block “Winning Wednesdays.”
Are You Smarter than A Celebrity? will feature an adult contestant who will rely on a classroom full of celebrities from comedy, screen, and sports to help them answer 11 questions on a range of subjects pulled from elementary curriculum in an effort to win a $100,000 prize. Unlike the game show upon which it is based, contestants are not competing against the stars, but rather enlisting their help.
Buy It Now is a business competition hosted by JB Smoove. Entrepreneurs are given 90 seconds to pitch their product to an audience of potential customers: The 100. If The 100 like the product and price, then the entrepreneurs go to a panel of Amazon executives and celebrity entrepreneurs. The panel selects which products will join Amazon’s exclusive Buy It Now Store and award one entrepreneur $20,000 in each episode. The show premieres January 8, 2025 with the first of 13 episodes.
Wish List Games is a five-episode holiday event hosted by Nick Cannon. The high-energy, half-hour game show features contestants playing for the chance to win everything on their Amazon Wish Lists, totaling up to $25,000. In every episode, contestants are pulled from the audience to play a rotating series of games, building to the final round where one contestant plays to win a prize for everyone in the audience. The show debuts November 20.
Finally, the fourth game in the Winning Wednesday lineup, Pop Culture Jeopardy, is hosted by Colin Jost. It premieres Wednesday, December 4 for a 40-episode season. Three new episodes will be released each week. The answer-and-question format features contestants playing in teams of three. Contestants will compete in a tournament-style event for the grand prize of $300,000.
Amazon first entered the game show arena a few months ago with The 1%, hosted by Patton Oswald.