The Most Popular Game Show in Every State

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title graphic for a study about the most popular game show in every state
BetMGM Jul 01, 2024, 9:11 PM

 

Table of Contents
How States See Themselves: Service and People Ratings
Closing Thoughts
Methodology

Game shows have captivated American audiences for decades. With their high stakes and exciting challenges, theyโ€™ve outlasted the days of radio, transitioned into the age of TV, and even adapted to modern online platforms.

Hundreds of game shows have been created over the years, with some like โ€œThe Price is Rightโ€ and โ€œWheel of Fortuneโ€ finding decades-long success and establishing themselves as generation-spanning pop culture icons.

Game shows are such a staple of American culture that Congress got involved in preserving their integrity, banning rigged game shows with amendments to the Communications Act in 1960. The events that triggered these amendments also inspired the highly-rated 1994 movie โ€œQuiz Show.โ€

From game shows that test everything from knowledge to pure luck, weโ€™ve found the most popular in each U.S. state using Google Trends search data over the past five years. Read on to see if your favorite game show matches your stateโ€™s favorite and where to go if it doesnโ€™t.

Every Stateโ€™s Favorite Game Show

 a U.S. map plotting the most popular game show in every state

Itโ€™s no secret that Americans love some good old-fashioned competition, especially in the form of a game show. Although the states have a variety of favorite programs, there are a few clear winners across the country. Letโ€™s dive into the most popular game shows on TV:

  • Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? โ€“ 9 states
  • Family Feud โ€“ 9 states
  • Jeopardy! โ€“ 8 states
  • Cash Cab โ€“ 6 states
  • Supermarket Sweep โ€“ 3 states
  • Thatโ€™s My Jam โ€“ 3 states
  • The Price is Right โ€“ 3 states
  • Deal or No Deal โ€“ 2 states
  • Wheel of Fortune โ€“ 2 states
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? โ€“ 2 states

With โ€œAre You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?โ€ and โ€œFamily Feudโ€ tying for the most popular game show overall, itโ€™s clear that Americans like to see people test their knowledge against a source, whether itโ€™s an elementary school textbook or an audience survey.

These shows are similar in popularity, but thereโ€™s a significant regional difference between their fan bases. Mainly western states โ€“ with the exception of Florida and South Carolina โ€“ want to know if they can outsmart a 5th grader, while the survey says southeastern states prefer to watch families feud.

Although โ€œAre You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?โ€ is no longer in production, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will soon host a spinoff show called “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” It just might replace โ€œThatโ€™s My Jamโ€ as Missouriโ€™s favorite game show and may even reignite Americaโ€™s love for the original.

โ€œFamily Feudโ€ pits five members of one family against five members of another, and their goal is to guess the results of audience survey questions. The show has had several hosts during its lifetime, but current host Steve Harvey seems to be a fan favorite due to his comical reactions to contestantsโ€™ strange answers.

Next on the list is a close second for America’s most popular game show. If youโ€™re thinking, โ€œWhat is Jeopardy!?โ€ youโ€™d be correct. This show โ€“ which takes answers in the form of questions โ€“ has 44 Emmy awards, making it the most award-winning game show in America. If you want to see how youโ€™d do as a contestant, practice with the J! Archive, a fan-created database of all the clues and answers ever aired on the show.

The third most popular game show in America is โ€œCash Cabโ€, in which players picked up in a cab must answer increasingly difficult (and profitable) trivia questions before they reach their destination. โ€œCash Cabโ€ is actually Canadian, not American, so itโ€™s fitting that the states that prefer it are close to our northern neighbor.

Closing Thoughts

While itโ€™s fun to watch other people compete to win big on TV, nothing compares to the thrill of doing it yourself. But not everyone has the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appear on a game show. Thatโ€™s why BetMGM lets you play game show-themed slots based on classic favorites such as โ€œDeal or No Deal,โ€ โ€œWheel of Fortune,โ€ and โ€œThe Price is Rightโ€ online or in person at MGM Resorts.

If you want to live out your game show contestant dreams, play other exciting online casino games, or even try your hand at sports betting, visit BetMGM today.

Methodology

To determine the most popular game show in each U.S. state, we looked at Entertainment Weekly, Ranker, and DirectTV to compile a list of game shows that have aired within the last five years. We then selected 25 of the most iconic ones and analyzed their regional search volume with Google Trends search data from June 2019 to June 2024. We used high search interest as an indicator of popularity.

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Our BetMGM editors and authors are casino experts with a wealth of knowledge of the online casino industry at all levels. Their coverage includes company news, game reviews, how-to instructional articles, strategy guides, and editorials showcasing BetMGMโ€™s superior product and game library.

Our BetMGM editors and authors are casino experts with a wealth of knowledge of the online casino industry at all levels. Their coverage includes company news, game reviews, how-to instructional articles, strategy guides, and editorials showcasing BetMGMโ€™s superior product and game library.