'Pop Culture Jeopardy!' Winners Are Paid Quite Well From the Spin-off Game Show

While Jeopardy! has long been revered as "the place smart people go to win money," the word "smart" can be relative, as the game show's spinoff, Pop Culture Jeopardy!, shows. Instead of the contestants competing for a prize by sharing their best historical or scientific knowledge, the hopefuls will share everything they know about the ever-changing pop culture topics over the years.

Hosted by comedian and actor Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy! asks contestants questions about music, movies, celebrities, and more. Like its predecessor, the game show has a financial incentive to keep the players on their toes. So, how much is the Pop Culture Jeopardy!'s prize worth? Here's what to know.

Pop Culture Jeopardy!'s new approach to the legendary show is present in its first episode, which debuted on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. The competition includes a bracket-style structure where the contestants can work together as a team to answer the questions. The team setup is different from each Jeopardy! contestant, who must answer the questions alone. During the competition, the teams compete in multiple rounds, including knockouts, quarter-finals, and semi-final rounds.

Then, the final three teams in each game can compete against one another for the grand prize of $300,000. While that's not too shabby for most of us, the winners will earn significantly less than past Jeopardy! contestants. Throughout Jeopardy!'s run, many of its winners have received high paydays of over $1 million. Many of us remember the pop culture moment when contestant-turned-Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings became the game's highest-winning player in regular season play, earning over $2.5 million.

Pop Culture Jeopardy!'s grand prize and structure may differ from what the franchise's day-one fans are accustomed to, but there are some similarities within the franchise. When the series debuted, fans were pleasantly surprised to see Pop Culture Jeopardy! stick to some of the show's familiar themes, including using the same iconic set and adding equally iconic music (the one you've been playing in your head since you started reading this article) as fans answer their possibly game-show-winning answers.

While Pop Culture Jeopardy! pays homage to the original show's premise by keeping the show's tone about the same, fans have critiqued the differences they've noticed. One specific difference fans have noted is how its host, Colin, has been navigating his new gig. During the show's premiere episode, the SNL star received comparisons to Ken, who hosts the main Jeopardy! and its specials.

And though Colin didn't appear bothered by stepping into a new lane in the pilot, a source reportedly told The Sun he was "nervous" about stepping into the role due to his SNL fame.

"Colin brought a cheeky energy to the spin-off, and the live audience loved him, but he's not completely comfortable with recording yet," a source shared. "He sometimes struggled with the fast, tongue-twister questions and was forced to read several of them again for the final edit."

The source further shared that Colin reportedly "stumbled" over his words and "wasn't used to" his new role. However, Amazon Prime Video ordered 40 episodes of Pop Culture Jeopardy!, so the actor will likely become more comfortable as the show continues. Either way, we'll be watching!

Stream Pop Culture Jeopardy! on Amazon Prime Video.