Jeopardy! fans are excited to see who comes out on top in this year’s Tournament of Champions, but one fan had a very good question about the series. If the shows are taped before they air, how do they keep the winner a secret?
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Stopping Audience Members From Leaking Results
“How long ago was this ToC filmed?” the person asked. “How do they prevent the audience from leaking results?” The Tournament of Champions is currently airing, but one Redditor shared that the tournament started filming at the end of September. Many other users hopped on the thread with their own thoughts about how they keep the winner’s identity a secret—including former Jeopardy! contestant David Maybury.
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“I believe the audience is friends + family of the contestants only,” one person wrote. This led to more questions, with one person asking, “I mean, that maybe makes it less likely, but, they are still people. Does the audience have to sign anything?”
Former Contestant Reveals The Answer
“This still doesn’t make sense to me,” someone else jumped in. “Usually EVERY show has leaks no matter how hard they try to contain them. Someone on the staff almost always leaks.” However, Maybury had an answer.
He wrote, “We all signed NDAs.” While this cleared up how the Jeopardy! crew keeps the winner a secret for so long, it also led to more questions. “Curious exactly what penalties are spelled out in the NDA,” someone wrote. “Would there ever be a reason to leak the results, other than just to be a jerk? For example, are there any gambling books that take betting action on the outcome?”
Do People Bet On ‘Jeopardy?’
While most of the comments about betting on Jeopardy! were purely hypothetical, one Reddit user did share that some betting sites were taking bets on the 2020 Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time Tournament. However, “They stopped taking bets before it was filmed,” the person explained.
“I’m glad the results don’t leak out, or if they do, I’m not looking for them,” someone on the thread posted. The tournament is still ongoing, but some of the contestants heading to the semifinals include Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Maureen O’Neil, and Tyler Rhode. Jeopardy! fans are glad to know that there are measures in place to keep the identity of the Tournament of Champions winner a secret until the final episode of the tournament airs.