JEOPARDY! Masters ratings for episode two have dropped by nearly 800,000 viewers as fans have blamed the network for the show’s crisis.
Jeopardy! Masters, which is the game show’s most prestigious tournament, premiered on Wednesday, April 30.
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The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal that while the premiere ratings were strong, many fans tuned out for the second episode.
The first episode had Victoria Groce, Brad Rutter and Yogesh Raut face off in round one, while Matt Amodio, Roger Craig and Juveria Zaheer played against each other in the second game.
Ratings reached 3,123,000 viewers for the premiere.
For the second episode on May 7, Adriana Harmeyer, Isaac Hirsch and Neilesh Vinjamuri battled it out, while the second game had competitors Roger, Isaac and Yogesh.
Nearly 800,000 viewers didn’t return for the second episode, as 2,350,000 watched.
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune with returning host Pat Sajak had more viewers for the May 7 episode with 2,520,000 fans tuning in.
For season two of Jeopardy! Masters, ratings reached four million viewers.
IN JEOPARDY?
Viewers believe the ratings struggle could be because of “bad calls” made by the network this season.
One fan wrote, “There are a few key issues… The biggest one is simply the time slot. Having the Masters begin at 9 pm EST was just not a good call. The 8 pm time slot gets the regular Jeopardy direct lead-in and is much easier for most people to watch.
“Second, the long stretches between Masters episodes. I’d prefer a few more a week in 30 minute blocks to the hour long double episode setup. It’s more easily digestible.”
A second viewer wrote, “So unfortunate, but just too much competition for screen time! I know I record Survivor & Amazing Race already on Wednesdays.
“I think these tournaments, if possible, should be broadcast in the regular Jeopardy time-slot to avoid scheduling conflicts & Jeopardy overload & to take advantage of the built in fan base for ratings.”
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CASTING MISTAKE
Another reason ratings are low could be because of casting, as fan-favorite James Holzhauer is not on this season.
Fans believe he brings “entertainment value.”
Viewers previously turned to Reddit to express their dismay over James’ absence.
One fan wrote, “I’m sure we’ll find out either from James on Twitter or through the podcast, but I’d have to assume that either James decided to pass on Masters this time or the taping schedule didn’t work for him.
“I can’t imagine the Jeopardy producers would just actively choose to pass him over.”
Another wrote, “No James? That’s surprising, guess they decided Top 2 stays retroactively or am I missing something?”
And another believes it is James’ decision, “I think it’s more likely though that he probably just had something going on around the time they were filming this year’s Masters and thus declined to play (either that or perhaps James is just wanting a break from Jeopardy for a bit- which considering that it’s been a major story of his life for the past 6 years or so, I can’t say I blame him).”
James is a professional sports gambler and is the third-highest winner on Jeopardy!, as he has won $2,462,216 in 32 games.
He also won Masters in 2023.
Jeopardy! Universe
Jeopardy! first aired in 1964 until 1975. Then the nighttime version began in 1974. Since then, spinoffs of the game show have emerged. Here are all of those
Jeopardy! – (primetime) 1974 to present, weekdays on ABC at 7pm
Tournament of Champions – 1984 to present, features the top champions who have appeared on the show since the last tournament
Celebrity Jeopardy! – 1992 to present, has celebrities comepete against each other to raise money for chairty
Jeopardy! Masters – 2023 to present, features six notable recent Jeopardy! champions competing against each other
Jeopardy! National College Championship – 2022 to present, undergraduates from 36 colleges and universities across America compete to win $100,000
Other versions of Jeopardy! have fizzled out throughout the years
SHOW BACKLASH
Fans have also complained about contestant Yogesh on the May 7 episode, as he has been dominating the tournament.
“Another Yogesh sweep tonight. I’m bored #TeamJuveria #JeopardyMasters,” said one viewer.
“Buzzer-play is again evident in this #JeopardyMasters games. Roger Craig is the only one to get FJ correctly, collecting 1 point. A smug Yogesh Raut gets another win and 3 points. Yawn,” a second raged.
Another person wrote, “This game is getting boring with each game. Zzzzzz.”
This comes after the show on April 30 that saw Yogesh deliver the “best round” in the show’s history.
The participants are competing for $500,000.
Victoria was the winner in 2024.
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