The prize money for 'Family Feud' is still the same as it was in 2001 and yes, it's awfully low

"Family Feud" is one of those game shows that has achieved an iconic status and reserved a place in television history. Thanks to its hosts Richard Dawson and Steve Harvey, the show has managed to run for over half a century. Despite running this long, very little has changed in the format of the show. Apart from the spin-off "Celebrity Family Feud," nearly everything has remained the same including the prize for the "Fast Money Round". This is what fans on Reddit are complaining about, suggesting that it may be the time for a change. 

Something needs to be done

"Family Feud" first aired in 1976, and at the time, the maximum prize for the Fast Money round was $5,000. It was then doubled to $10,000 and after 25 years, it was raised to $20,000 in 2001. Since then the prize has remained unchanged, as per The Sun.

Thus, on the popular forum, r/gameshow, the original poster asked, "Does anyone think that family feud should raise their prize money from $20,000? If yes, what do you think it should be?" suggesting that the prize money that has remained the same since 2001, is too low for the current times. 

Several Redditors expressed that the prize money was indeed too low and that it should be raised. "Definitely. $100k. A family of 4 winning $20k isn't really that much. I'm amazed how excited some of the families get on that show," user u/Skellington72 wrote in the post. 

"I think it should be $25,000 and maybe bring back a car for if a family can get all 5 number 1 answers," suggested u/Barzalicious. The user pointed out the fact that the show had a car as a prize for the family that won all 5 games since 2009. However, this year, the car was removed and now, families who win all the games are awarded an additional $30,000.

Another issue that the user pointed out was the $5 consolation per point that contestants receive if they fail to reach 200 points in the Fast Round. "The $5 per point as a consolation is the biggest thing that needs to be changed. I'd go with 'divide the jackpot by 1000' per point no matter what the jackpot is," user u/LogstarGo_ suggested. 

However, there were some users who argued in favor of keeping the show the same. "Production-wise, it's syndicated, considered a daytime show, and fits in a half-hour time slot. That's not where the big bucks are, from advertisers or for game show winners," user u/JJJJust/ explained, suggesting that the $20 to $25,000 prize pool was appropriate. 

Another user suggested that raising the prize to $100,000 won't benefit the show anyway. "I'll state the obvious. Would you (or the masses) watch it more if it was $25k, even $100k (which is ridiculous unless you want a neutered bonus round)? Doubtful," user u/Alphadelt613.  Some even suggested that as contestants, they would be happy to take the share of $4,000 from the $20,000 prize pool. 

For more such interesting posts on game shows, follow r/gameshow on Reddit.