ABC’s revival of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” enters its fifth season on July 22, 2026, continuing the trivia game show’s run on broadcast television.
The show has been a slow burn on network TV, averaging modest ratings compared to its peak in the early 2000s. But it persists because the format works. Trivia, suspense, and the illusion that anyone could walk away with a million dollars are timeless.
The Quiz Show Nostalgia Factor
Game shows have made a quiet comeback. People want to watch others answer questions, not perform. There’s comfort in trivia. No interpersonal drama. No voting. Just knowledge tested under pressure with real money on the line.
Millionaire taps into that. Season 5 is betting the format still resonates with cable-cord audiences and streaming viewers catching up on recorded episodes.
What Changed, What Didn’t
The core mechanics remain untouched. Fifteen questions. Four choices. Phone a friend. Ask the audience. Walk away. The money increases by magnitude. Nothing revolutionary.
What’s shifted is distribution. Fewer people watch network TV at airing time. More watch on demand. ABC is banking that Millionaire is durable enough to find audiences across both channels.
The game show that refused to die is still asking questions.
