TV’s biggest game show has proven to be a beast of a hit for Prime Video.
On Wednesday, February 25, millions of viewers tuned in to Beast Games to find out who took home the massive $5 million cash prize.
Season 2 started off with 200 of the strongest competitors and smartest minds in the world battling for 100 spots in Beast City. Those who made it to the next round were left to battle it out in a series of challenges for the chance to walk away with a life-changing amount of money.
“I think the best thing that I hear people say — and I hear it all the time and I think it correlates with what we’re seeing in the ratings — is this is the first show I’m sitting down with my kids and watching,” Beast Games showrunner and executive producer Sean Klitzner exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, February 22. “We’re watching as a family, or we’re having watch nights and it’s multi-generational viewership, which is very, very rare in this day and age of content consumption.”
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In celebration of season 2, Klitzner revealed some behind-the-scenes secrets about how Beast Games gets made.
Keep reading to find out how Prime Video’s latest hit won big in the reality TV genre:
What Makes MrBeast Such a Great Host?
Although MrBeast — born Jimmy Donaldson — has one of the most subscribed YouTube channels on the platform, some viewers are meeting the creator for the first time on Beast Games.
“This is a person who started off as all of us being a kid, having dreams, having passions,” Beast Games showrunner Sean Klitzner told Us. “There’s no difference, I think, in Jimmy than in somebody who is a professional athlete who started at a very young age and found a passion and then just worked every day from a young age. … There’s so much more business to Jimmy than just content these days, but it’s just a pleasure to work with him. He’s become a really close friend. He’s what you would think. He’s very passionate and a nice guy.”
What Goes Into Casting ‘Beast Games’ Contestants?
When looking through potential candidates, Sean Klitzner said a person’s popularity and the number of social media followers they have rarely play a role.
“It was all about the people because we’re creating this environment and this world,” Klitzner explained. “We’re putting you in this environment for over a month, competing for $5 million so it’s about the people who fit what we’re looking to have in that experience. With this year’s theme being strong versus smart, it was about finding the strongest and finding the smartest.”
When looking for a good candidate for a competition show, Klitzner believes authenticity rules.
“I sniff out when somebody is not being true to themselves instantly,” he explained. “Jim [Bentayou], who I think is phenomenal television, his audition wasn’t as big as he is on the show, but you could tell he was just being himself when we saw his audition tape.”
Why Does ‘Beast Games’ Focus on the Contestants’ Families?
During season 2, viewers were able to meet several family members of various Beast Games contestants. According to Sean Klitzner, bringing relatives to the show had an impact on the contestants.
“It was very calculated,” he said. “We’re aware of that moment of being reconnected with a loved one after spending time away from even any sort of communication. We’re aware of the impact and the weight that holds. It’s right before the players are going to decide how much of a million-dollar pot that they’re going to take.”
When presented with an opportunity to take money for your family, Klitzner believes must-see TV happens.
How Does a $5 Million Grand Prize Impact ‘Beast Games’?
While some shows like Survivor offer $1 million to the winner, Sean Klitzner believes $5 million is life-changing money that can bring the winner some peace of mind — if used the right way.
“One of the cores that makes this show so special is that they give the money out all in one lump sum,” Klitzner claimed. “And at the end of all of it, when you have money in your bank account, it is genuinely life-changing money.”
With so much money on the line, Klitzner believes “it stops becoming just about connections and alliances and friendships. At some point, you had to play for yourself.”
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Who Will Fans Remember Most From ‘Beast Games’ Season 2?
While Sean Klitzner doesn’t want to spoil anything for fans who haven’t watched the finale, there are two contestants who made quite the impression on him.
“I think Monika [Ronk] and Jim [Bentayou] really were so fun to watch back because we lived it with them,” Klitzner shared. “When [Monika] literally takes the money and then cries and says, ‘I took zero of it,’ I think that is a move that can be compared to the biggest shows out there, including Survivor. I think that was one of the most legendary competition reality show moves that have existed.”
Klitzner — who is working on developing the next generation of unscripted competition series — added, “I hope people love Jim as much as I did. Watching him back, he was always a treat to be around. Always such a positive energy, and he was one of my favorite people to watch.”
Beast Games is streaming now on Prime Video.
