PokerStars’ The Big Game has made a successful comeback after a 12-year hiatus, drawing impressive viewership on YouTube, thus far.
The long-awaited new season of The Big Game premiered on May 11, and in just two months, it has already drawn a large audience. Five episodes have aired so far and each had at least half a million views, much more than GGPoker’s Game of Gold, a new reality poker TV show that debuted last year.
Currently, on a brief break, The Big Game’s revival has brought back all the excitement and nostalgia of its pre-Black Friday era.
The format of the show remains largely unchanged from its original seasons, with the notable adjustment that Loose Cannons are now staked $50,000 instead of $100,000. Each Loose Cannon must play 150 hands, and any profits earned beyond the initial stake are theirs to keep, akin to the format before Black Friday.
The show was filmed during the NAPT Las Vegas in November, around the same time Game of Gold premiered its first episode.
The first half of the season featured an intriguing lineup including Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth, Jennifer Tilly, Alan Keating, Lex Veldhuis, Arden Cho, and joined by the Loose Cannon Nikki Limo.
As we eagerly await The Big Game’s return for its second half later this month, let’s compare its performance with Game of Gold.
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Viewership Showdown: The Big Game vs Game of Gold
GGPoker‘s Game of Gold launched last year, introducing an innovative hybrid of poker and reality TV. Produced in collaboration with Poker After Dark, this 12-episode series featured 16 professional poker players randomly divided into four teams. The players competed in various poker formats, accruing points to determine an overall individual winner and a top prize of $456,000.
The unique twist of Game of Gold is its reality TV element. While gameplay unfolds, remaining team members watch a cards-up live stream, adding an intriguing blend of strategy and entertainment to the mix. This format quickly resonated with audiences, making Game of Gold an overnight sensation. The show was also a hit on social media, generating much buzz on platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
Since its debut seven months ago, Game of Gold has amassed nearly 5 million views across its 12 episodes, at an average of just over 400k views per episode.
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GGPoker’s Game of Gold (YouTube Views as of July 10, 2024)
| Episode # | Episode Name | Views on YouTube |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One of a Kind | 571K |
| 2 | The Added Pressure | 406K |
| 3 | Art of Speech | 448K |
| 4 | Do or Die | 383K |
| 5 | No Turning Back | 486K |
| 6 | The Trigger | 368K |
| 7 | Quick and Easy | 317K |
| 8 | The Queen | 405K |
| 9 | The Final Prayer | 322K |
| 10 | Life or Death | 403K |
| 11 | Squid Game | 280K |
| 12 | The End Game | 453K |
In contrast, PokerStars‘ The Big Game on Tour, is doing much better. Despite not generating as much social media buzz as Game of Gold, The Big Game has been a hit in terms of YouTube views.
Each of its five episodes has accumulated at least 600k views, averaging 673k per episode. Given the episodes were uploaded just a few weeks ago, these numbers are expected to rise.
In fact, none of the Game of Gold episodes exceeded 600k views on YouTube. The highest viewership was seen for the first episode, “One of a Kind,” which garnered 571k total views.
Meanwhile, The Big Game’s first episode reached 779k views, marking its highest viewership, while its lowest viewership, seen in episode 3 with 600k views, still surpassed the highest viewership of Game of Gold’s debut episode.
PokerStars’ The Big Game on Tour (YouTube Views as of July 10, 2024)
| Episode # | Episode Name | Views on YouTube |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Loose Cannon | 779K |
| 2 | Loose Cannon SOUL READS Phil | 722K |
| 3 | The Biggest Pot of his Career | 600K |
| 4 | Alan Cracks Phil’s Aces | 645K |
| 5 | The BIGGEST POT | 620K |
The Big Game’s success can be attributed to its established fan base and the nostalgia associated with its original run over a decade ago on television. In fact, older episodes from the first two seasons uploaded on PokerStars’ YouTube channel boast millions of views per episode.
Game of Gold’s innovative approach has proven there is a significant audience for reality-based poker content. However, The Big Game’s strong viewership indicates that classic poker shows still hold substantial appeal.
As both shows continue to draw in viewers, it will be fascinating to see how poker entertainment evolves. Will Game of Gold maintain its momentum and grow its audience once it returns for Season 2? Or will The Big Game’s nostalgic charm and consistent viewership keep it in the lead? One thing is certain: poker fans are the ultimate winners, with an abundance of high-quality content to enjoy.