Reality TV prizes - two questions

1. Is the $3 million just given away (split between three contestants)
on "Treasure Hunters" the biggest US reality show prize to date?

cloud dreamer...

No idea. It's the biggest that I can think of.

David...

I think "Greed" had a bigger prize. And "Deal or no Deal" is going to
have a $6 million prize.

Steven L....

Gee. Looks like the big game show prizes are outpacing inflation by a
wide margin.

When the hit game show "The $64,000 Question" premiered in 1955, the
grand prize was, of course, $64,000. After taking inflation (Consumer
Price Index) into account, $64,000 in 1955 would be the equivalent of
some $450,000 today.

It's even more significant if you figure that a contestant actually had
to be quite knowledgeable to win "The $64,000 Question." Not so with
"Deal or No Deal." So even after taking inflation into account, today's
contestants on "Deal or No Deal" are getting bigger prizes for less effort.

et472...

I can't place "Greed", but it sounds more like a game show. And
there is most definitely no reality to "Deal or No Deal".

David...

I think the emphasis in the question was on "biggest prize," not
"reality show."

et472...

Not from the standpoint of the original poster. "Reality show" in
the header, both questions related to a "reality show".

cloud dreamer...

Yeah. I was thinking Ken Jennings last night but Jeopardy is a game
show, not a reality show. I still can't think of any 'reality show' that
has topped that. Unanimous had the potential for $1.5 million but that
ended up much much lower.

Steven L....

I've never heard of a bigger prize on any other reality show.

2. The disclaimer at the end of the program indicated the prize was
actually in the form of an annuity given out over 25 years ($3,333 a
month isn't exactly Rockefeller money, eh)? Is this the way reality
show prizes are typically given out?

cloud dreamer...

I imagine Richard Hatch wishes it was...

Steven L....

It varies, depending on the show.

Survivor pays the $1 million up front by check--we usually get to see
that on the CBS Morning News the day after the season finale.

OTOH, when Fear Factor had the "Couples Marathon," they paid the winning
team the $1 million prize in the form of an annuity over 30 years (I think).

sueb...

Don't know about 1.

2. The prize was donated by an insurance company. Insurance companies
provide annuities. There's probably a link somewhere.

Susan B.

et472...

It's an insurance company? I was trying to figure out what they did,
after learning their name via the show.

I assumed the company had something to do with money, especially
when the comment about "over 25 years" came up. It seemed deliberate,
to show something about how their business operates.

Of course, "donation" is the wrong word, though I thought the host
used it last night. They paid the show to get the placement, and
some of that went to the winner (and the home viewer, too).

sueb...

"Genworth Financial is a provider of financial services for consumers
and businesses including insurance, annuities and employee benefits."

In addition to the $100K for the general public prize, Genworth donated
the $3M for the main prize. At least that's what Our Host (aka The
Phake Phil) said.

The Geniuses are lucky they didn't end up with $1M of life insurance
each. Hard to pay for med school with that.

Susan B.

Major ChrisB...

I've heard of some shows where they will give them the choice of a smaller
lump sum or the 'as advertised' annuity....