MrBeast game show: Youtuber Jimmy Donaldson announces new reality TV contest as he issues influencer warning

Social media influencer MrBeast has announced he is fronting a new reality series based on his popular YouTube show, 'Beast Games'.

The star, whose full name is Jimmy Donaldson, told his 29 million followers on X that he is currently filming the 'insane' series, which will be broadcast on Prime Video when it is complete. Declaring the new series as "the biggest reality competition series ever", he wrote that it is 'big news' for gamers.

Minimal details are known about the show at the time of writing (on Tuesday March 19), but we do know that it will see 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million cash prize (around £4 million) - the largest giveaway in streaming and television history.

MrBeast revealed the news on his X page yesterday (Monday March 18). His full post read: "Big news gamers I’m going to be filming the largest game show in history and releasing it on Prime Video! Over 1,000 contestants, $5,000,000 prize, and many other world records.. I’ll reveal more later this year but let’s just say, it’s gonna be an insane show."

MrBeast will host and executive produce the series, which is also called 'Beast Games', will be available in more than 240 countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video. His announcement came just days after he issued a warning to people who hoped to follow in his footsteps and become an influencer too.

He wrote on X: "It’s painful to see people quit their job/drop out of school to make content full time before they’re ready. For every person like me that makes it, thousands don’t. Keep that in mind and be smart plz."

'The biggest everything in history'

Speaking about his new show, MrBeast said: "My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms." He added: "Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen. I hope to make the YouTube community proud."

He continued to say that he hoped to make "the most viewed streaming show in history". He also described the show as "mindblowing" and said, in his opinion, it offered the "biggest everything in history", including prize value, contestant number and sets.

Teasing fans, he said the show was like his usual videos, but "20 times better" as he had a "big budget" and money was "not a constraint". He also said he'd been able to do "anything". He continued to say that he was "so excited" about the series, but refused to release any more details about the challenges the contestants will face.

MrBeast did reveal, however, that the series will be six hours long overall and there will be 10 episodes. That means viewers can expect each episode to be around 35 minutes long - much longer than his current Youtube videos which are just a few minutes long.

It's not known when 'Beast Games' will air on Amazon Prime, or if they episodes will be released periodically or all at once. The star did say that he will release a prelude to the show on his Youtube channel before its launch to give viewers an insight in to what it was about.

'The biggest reality competition series ever'

MrBeast is one of the most popular YouTubers on the channel. The 25-year-old’s main Youtube channel MrBeast is one of the most subscribed on the platform with 245 million subscribers, and that number continues to grow. The account is credited with popularising and pioneering the genre of YouTube videos involving expensive stunts.

MrBeast was named as the top social media creator 2023 in Forbes. They state that “MrBeast’s power and popularity stem from his high production videos and stunts that include surviving in Antarctica for 50 hours and building a Wonka chocolate factory.” Beast-based brands include Feastables chocolate bars and the MrBeast Burgers restaurant chain, plus Donaldson’s line of merchandise. 

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said: "MrBeast has captured the attention and imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world. 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."

Vernon Sanders, the studio's head of television, said: "When MrBeast first told us about his concept for the show, we were blown away by his ambition to make Beast Games the biggest reality competition series ever."