Should ‘Survivor’ 50 Increase the Prize Money?

The Tribe Has Spoken

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Does $1 million seem like an underwhelming reward for the player who outwits, outplays, and outlasts on Survivor? And might the CBS competition series up the ante for its upcoming 50th season?

The Hollywood Reporter poses those questions in an article about reality TV prizes and inflation. When Survivor premiered, the show’s $1 million award went a lot further than it does today — $1 million now is worth $534,850 in 2000’s buying power, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by THR.

Other network TV reality competitions, on the other hand, have raised their prize amounts — Top Chef‘s jackpot has gone from $100,000 to $250,000, for example. But Survivor has stuck to its $1 million prize for every season but Season 40 a.k.a. Winners at War, when the amount was doubled.

On streaming TV, meanwhile, the payouts are often much larger. Beast Games contestants vied for $10 million, and co-creator and host Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson even called out other reality competition’s lesser prizes.

“I had to throw a little diss at the normal shows,” he said in a behind-the-scenes video, per THR. “A $1 million dollar grand prize? … I gave away $1 million in the first minute and 42 seconds. This is establishing dominance.”

Don’t expect Beast Games’ grand prize to become the new normal, though. $10 million is an amount broadcast networks and many streamers would probably balk at.

Plus, $1 million is life-changing money, and the cash comes with Survivor‘s immaterial benefits, a source close to the show told THR. “$1 million is still a lot of money — more than many other shows offer — for what is a lifetime opportunity for those fortunate to participate,” the source said. “The money isn’t the only motivating factor — the life experience and personal growth is a big driving force for those who audition.”

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On Reddit, some fans think Survivor should offer more. “I think that the winner of Season 50 should get $2,000,000,” one Reddit user opined in a recent thread. We already know Survivor 50 will let fans vote for certain gameplay elements; perhaps the prize amount will be one of them.

But other fans say $1 million is ample. “No idea what planet people are living on or what privilege they have to think right now in 2025 that $1 million isn’t a life-changing sum for the vast majority of Americans,” one Reddit user wrote.

What do you think? Is the Survivor prize too weak of a windfall? Let us know in the comments.