YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, struck a deal in March with Amazon MGM Studios to produce a reality competition show called “Beast Games.” The show will feature 1,000 contestants vying for a $5 million cash prize, making it the largest single prize ever offered on television or streaming.

This collaboration marks a milestone as major entertainment companies seek to work with online creators with millions of followers. MrBeast is the most popular individual creator on YouTube with over 389 million subscribers across his channels.

Puck News was the first to break the story of the collaboration in its newsletter in January, claiming the deal could be worth $100 million.

“MrBeast has captured the attention and imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, said in the company’s announcement. “We are excited to work with Jimmy and his talented team to bring his brilliant, high production, and stakes-raising concepts to ‘Beast Games’ for our global customers to experience.”

Famous for his outrageous stunts and charitable acts, Donaldson will host and executive produce “Beast Games,” available in 240 countries and territories, and he’s been given creative control over the show.

“My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms,” Donaldson said. “Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen.”

“When MrBeast first told us about his concept for the show, we were blown away by his ambition to make Beast Games the biggest reality competition series ever,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios.

Donaldson’s YouTube productions are comparable to professional TV operations, with extensive crews, elaborate sets, and substantial cash prizes. He plans to continue operating his social media business alongside the Amazon show.

In an interview on “The Colin and Samir Show”, Donaldson revealed that his YouTube videos cost between $4 million and $5 million each, and the new show would have an even bigger budget. He expressed excitement about breaking free from the constraints of YouTube algorithms and values that prioritize aspects like thumbnails, video length, and titles.

However, he acknowledged that his YouTube videos can net between 300 million and 500 million views — while there are only around 80 million active Amazon Prime Video households in the U.S.

According to CNBC, the MrBeast-Amazon deal is part of a broader trend of creators expanding their content beyond social media platforms to diversify revenue streams. For instance, the YouTube group “Sidemen” released a Netflix documentary earlier this year, and the family of TikToker Charli D’Amelio recently aired the third season of their reality show on Hulu.

Paul Pastor, co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Quickplay, an over-the-top television service provider, emphasized the significance of this trend in an interview with Yahoo Finance Live.

“This is a tried and true model. We always in Hollywood like to greenlight projects that have big stars attached because it reduces the risk,” Pastor said. “What Amazon has done and stealing the talent from YouTube or borrowing or leveraging the brand from YouTube into their program with a huge prize. They made a huge splash.”

Pastor noted that other businesses are pursuing similar strategies to “democratize content through YouTube” and then extend those franchises to traditional streaming platforms.

“Beast Games” does not yet have a release date.