‘The Chase’ Offers Big Cash Prize Potential, but What Do The Chasers Make?

Trivia shows come in all shapes and sizes. You've got some that test the knowledge of listeners' ability to correctly guess the exact title of a song before Shazam! does, and others that rope in folks who are just looking to hail a cab into answering questions for money, and if they get them all wrong, they are dumped on the sidewalk before they reach their destination.

Then there are those with more "hardcore" premises, like The Chase. And while it's apparent what contestants make on the show, how much do The Chasers make on it?

If you aren't familiar with the quiz show it follows the time-honored entertainment tradition of taking an intellectual property straight out of the UK and then adopting it for American audiences. The show's premise is simple: A team of contestants must answer a bunch of trivia questions during a "Cash Builder" round that lasts a single minute.

This cash builder round is designed to give them a head start against season trivia game show professionals and that's where the unique premise of the show lies. These "Chasers" are presented the same quiz questions as the contestants on the show. Their goal is to mitigate close the money gap that the contestants amassed during the build up round.

If the Chasers are able to match the money that the contestants earn through a series of correct answers (and the contestants missing some of their own) along with intelligent "gambles" and bets, then one member of the team is selected to go head to head with the Chaser to see if they can salvage some money for their crew.

If you're into the world of trivia and game show knowledge then you'll recognize a lot of The Chasers on the series as mavens of random facts, references, and various bits of our species' accrued collective data.

In the US, The Chase has featured Jeopardy! standouts James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings; the former actually competed as a contestant on The Chase prior to being brought on as a Chaser himself.

In terms of what The Chasers get paid, that's not as easily discernible as what the contestants make. Just like the UK show, the Chasers are hired talent from their respective production company/networks.

So it's safe to assume that the ABC and previous GSN iterations of The Chase worked out salaries for their Chasers, but like many TV show deals, knowing exactly what people make is kept under wraps.

It's a major network TV show and these particular former quiz show contestants have earned a great deal of money on the other side of the podium, so its difficult to imagine that they haven't secured some considerably-sized contracts for themselves.

You can watch new episodes of The Chase on Sundays at 9 PM EST on ABC. If you're trying to become a contestant on the show, you can apply for it here.