NC’s MrBeast teams with Amazon to make ‘biggest reality competition series ever’
MrBeast, the world’s most watched YouTuber, promises to bring what he’s calling the world’s biggest reality competition to Amazon streaming.
Titled “Beast Games,” the event will feature 1,000 contestants vying for $5 million in cash, the largest single prize in the history of television or streaming, according to Amazon MGM Studios.
MrBeast is the professional alias of Jimmy Donaldson, a 25-year-old who lives and works in Greenville, North Carolina. His YouTube channel has 245 million subscribers, second globally behind an Indian record label. Videos from Donaldson and his crew invariably go viral, showcasing elaborate stunts and eye-catching prize giveaways.
He will be the show’s host and executive producer with “Beast Games” expected to be available on Prime Video in 240 countries.
While MrBeast videos typically clock in around 20 minutes, Donaldson told The Colin and Samir Show on Monday that “Beast Games” will likely offer more than six hours of content.
“Amazon will give us the most creative control, and by most, I mean all creative control and let me do whatever I want,” he said. “And the other platforms didn’t.”
Donaldson said he’s already hired 80 to 90 people to help with the show.
“We’re going to need way more,” he added.
Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios, said in a news release Monday the studio was “blown away” by Donaldson’s concept for the show. Amazon did not provide a potential release date.
Building out of Greenville
Donaldson moved to the Eastern North Carolina city of Greenville as a child and graduated from Greenville Christian Academy before building a full-time career around YouTube. He first gained widespread attention online in 2017 and has seen his view counts and sponsorship deals soar since.
In a recent Time magazine profile, Donaldson said he earns between $600 million to $700 million a year from videos. But Donaldson insists he reinvests most of this money back into videos, designing massive sets within his new North Greenville filming studios.
The News & Observer reached out to MrBeast’s company and Amazon MGM Studios about the expected filming location for Beast Games. Donaldson refrained from revealing the location in his interview with The Colin and Samir Show, saying “it’ll make sense when you see it.”
Last year, Donaldson purchased nearly 100 acres near his Greenville studios, Pitt County property records show. His team is currently expanding one of the studios to double its size, he told Colin and Samir on Monday. This renovation won’t be ready for the first season of Beast Games, but Donaldson said he’ll “have a lot of space” for a potential Season 2.
This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 5:45 AM.
