SALT LAKE CITY — Just days after becoming the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions winner, James Holzhauer wants to go for a new title: The Greatest of All Time.
But to get that recognition, the professional sports gambler-turned-“Jeopardy!” whiz will have to beat out Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.
The competition — “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” — was announced Monday. The tournament pits the three highest money winners in the game show’s history against each other — the three players combined won $10.7 million during their runs on the show, CNBC reported.
During the multiday tournament, which ABC will air in prime time beginning Jan. 7, the three trivia gurus will compete in a series of matches. The first player to win three matches receives $1 million and the title of “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time.” The other two players will each receive $250,000.
Jennings holds the record for the longest winning streak on “Jeopardy!” — 74 games — but Rutter has the title of highest money winner of all time across any television game show, with total “Jeopardy!” winnings of just over $4.6 million. Holzhauer — who is well known for going straight to the big-money questions and making bold wagers — holds multiple single-game records, his highest single-game total being $131,127.
The tournament is a dream come true for Jennings, who has previously said a matchup with Holzhauer would be “irresistible.” It’ll be a competition that’s bound to increase “Jeopardy!” ratings — the show is averaging 8.8 million viewers this season but jumped to 14 million during Holzhauer’s run, USA Today reported.
Alex Trebek, who is battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, will host the special, scheduled to be taped early next month.
“Based on their previous performances, these three are already the ‘greatest,’” Trebek said in the news release. “But you can’t help wondering: Who is the best of the best?”