The three top money winners in Jeopardy! history will face off for a share of $1.5 million in January.
It was announced on Monday that Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer will compete for the title of Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time.
The first contestant to win three matches will receive $1 million, and each runner-up will take home $250,000.
READ MORE: Alex Trebek chokes up after ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant shares supportive message
“The three greatest players in Jeopardy! history: Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, James Holzhauer. This January, get ready for the Jeopardy! matchup of all time. It’s Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time,” host Alex Trebek says in a video released on Monday.
Trebek will host the contest, titled Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time, which debuts on Jan. 7.
“Based on their previous performances, these three are already the ‘greatest,’ but you can’t help wondering: who is the best of the best?” Trebek said in a statement.
“We’re excited to bring Jeopardy! to prime time! It’s been a long time in the making — we wanted to create a unique experience sure to wow not just our fans but all audiences,” said Mike Hopkins, chairman of Sony Pictures Television. “We are thrilled to have James, Brad and Ken, three powerhouse players each worthy of the title ‘The Greatest of All Time.’ With Alex hosting, this is truly going to be something special. I can’t wait to see who comes out on top!”
Rutter is the top all-time money winner with $4.7 million, followed by Jennings with $3.4 million and Holzhauer with $2.7 million.
Jennings became a household name during his 74-game winning streak, which is the longest in the game show’s history.
Holzhauer holds all 15 of the top single-game winnings records on Jeopardy! He also just won the show’s 2019 Tournament of Champions.
Rutter is the highest money winner of all time across any TV game show and has never lost Jeopardy! to a human opponent.
READ MORE: ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant Jason Zuffranieri wins 17th straight game
Holzhauer shared the announcement on Twitter on Monday, writing: “This January, watch two Tournament of Champions winners take on a third player brought in to fill out the lineup.”
Many fans of Jeopardy! took to social media to discuss the upcoming special event.
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time, premieres Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
—With files from the Associated Press
© 2019 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
