CBS Jeff Probst has hosted Survivor since its inception 20 years ago.
There are two big ways “Survivor” comes out above “The Bachelor” and “The Amazing Race” — it has more applicants every year, according to Uswitch’s Google research, and it still earns more viewers. Here is what the data found and how other reality competition shows and game shows stack up.
‘Survivor’ Has Almost Double the Search Instances For Applications Over ‘The Bachelor’
In a press release, Uswitch revealed that they analyzed Google search data for a 12-month period (May 2020 to June 2021) and in that time, “Survivor” averaged nearly 80,000 searches for an application form. “The Bachelor” was a distant second with just over 40,000 searches. “The Amazing Race” came in third at nearly 35,000 searches.
The rest of the Top 20 field is as follows:
4. (tie) “The Circle” and “Big Brother,” 19,200
6. “The Bachelorette,” 12,000
7. (tie) “Love Island” and “The Chase, 10,560
9. “Family Feud,” 8640
10. “Are You The One,” 7080
11. (tie) “Supermarket Sweep,” “Wheel of Fortune,” and “Wipeout,” 5760
14. (tie) “Love Is Blind,” “The Voice,” “The Floor Is Lava,” “Name That Tune” and “90 Day Fiance,” 4680
19. (tie) “Masterchef” and “Chopped,” 3840
SURVIVOR CASTING HAS BEGUN! Head to t.co/09T9rFyTAF to submit a video and application. While I am not working on survivor, the very talented @JesseTannenbaum has hired an amazing team! 1 of my fav gifs @itweetdavie
Speaking of “Survivor” applications, the casting process for seasons 43 and 44 has begun. Alex Stern, a casting producer for “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Married at First Sight,” “Big Brother,” “Top Chef” and “Love is Blind,” recently tweeted, “SURVIVOR CASTING HAS BEGUN! Head to http://cbssurvivorcasting.com to submit a video and application. While I am not working on survivor, the very talented @JesseTannenbaum has hired an amazing team!”
On the application site, CBS advises would-be contestants to keep the video under three minutes and to be themselves — “We want to get to know who you are as a person. How will your life experience help you win the game? How will you interact with the other tribe members? When describing yourself, remember to cite real-life examples. We love a good story!” says the casting tips page.
The Ratings Tell the Same Story
When you look at the ratings for the top non-streaming shows on the list, they tell much the same story as the application numbers.
The latest season of “Survivor” averaged 9.3 million viewers in Live+7 ratings, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In case you don’t know, Live+7 ratings mean the total number of viewers between how many people watched it live and how many watched it on their DVR within a week of each episode’s original airdate.
The most recent season of “The Bachelor,” season 25 with Matt James, averaged 6.46 million live+7 viewers, and “The Amazing Race” season 32 was at 5.41 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That means that “Survivor” earns almost 45 percent more viewers than “The Bachelor” and almost 75 percent more viewers than “The Amazing Race.”
The most recent full season of “Big Brother,” which aired on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in August through October 2020, earned an average of just over 5 million Live+7 viewers, and the most recent full season of “The Bachelorette,” season 16 with Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams, averaged just over 6 million Live+7 viewers, which actually puts it ahead of both “The Amazing Race” and “Big Brother,” but still well behind “Survivor.”
“Survivor” returns on Wednesday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. “Big Brother” and “The Bachelorette” are currently airing on CBS and ABC, respectively.
READ NEXT: ‘Survivor’s’ Kim Spradlin-Wolfe Announces New Show