Fox’s New Game Show ’99 to Beat’ Bumps Grand Prize to $1 Million; Releases First Look (EXCLUSIVE)

Fox’s upcoming game show “99 to Beat” has given its contestants one more surprise: The show’s prize pot, originally set at $100,000, has been bumped up to $1 million. Fox revealed the news of the windfall while sharing a first look at the new gamer, hosted by Erin Andrews and Ken Jeong, which Variety can reveal exclusively.

“99 to Beat” has also been given a premiere date: Wednesday, September 24, at 9 p.m. ET, following the Season 4 premiere of Fox’s hit gamer “The Floor,” hosted by Rob Lowe.

Per Fox, “99 to Beat” centers on 100 contestants who “go head-to-head in a range of visually distinctive and hilarious games in an arced competition game show like we’ve never seen before. ’99 to Beat’ is the game show that anyone can win, and there’s only one thing players must do for a chance of walking away with the cash prize – Don’t. Finish. Last. As contestants battle it out against each other, each round will see the number of players whittled down until one person is left standing and they take home the top prize of $1,000,000.”

Producers broke the news on set to contestants about the increased prize amount, which they said brought “incredible excitement – and lots of tears.”

“99 to Beat” is hosted by Jeong and Andrews; the show is also produced by Initial, with Natalka Znak, Claire O’Donohoe, Katy Manley and Lee Smithurst executive producing. The series is based on a format originated by VRT and De Chinezen, and is distributed by Primitives.