When it comes to Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, Ken Jennings doesn’t hold the top spot in terms of money won (although hosting is probably more profitable anyway). Jennings’ claim to fame on one of the best game shows of all time is his 74-game winning streak. No other contestant has come close to catching him either, yet he still thinks he will one day be surpassed. One factor is key, he says, and recent trends seem to support his argument.
Jeopardy! has reached the tournament portion of the 2025 TV schedule, which means Ken Jennings’ record is safe for now. It was back in 2004 that the GOAT spent a solid six months taking down each pair of trivia experts who were placed next to him, and when asked by an audience member recently if he thinks anyone will ever get to 75 or beyond, he had a common-sense reason for believing so. Jennings said in a clip aired on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast:
I think it can be beaten. I was here when Amy Schneider made the last real run at it. The reason why I think it can be beaten, one, because I know first-hand it can be done; I was there.
It’s hard to argue with that logic, though the game has changed in the past 20 years, and contestants in this era play a riskier game with high Daily Double wagers that seemingly make it harder to string wins together. As the host pointed out, Amy Schneider came closer than anyone in 2021-22, winning an impressive 40 games just weeks after Matt Amodio got to 38.
Ken Jennings’ belief that the David to his Goliath will come along one day isn’t just humility. He explained why he thinks long-standing champions have a bit of an advantage, continuing:
Second of all, I think there is a plateau you hit, where you’re just cruising. You’ve had a lot more practice on the buzzer and on the set than your opponents have had. It’s kind of an unfair homecourt advantage for the returning champion, and I think at some point somebody is just gonna hit that streak and they’re gonna glide, and I’m excited that I might be here when it happens.
It really does come down to buzzer speed, right? Between that and overcoming the initial shock of being on the Alex Trebek Stage fielding clues from Ken Jennings, it seems like — in theory at least — the longer you’re on the show, the stronger a player you become.
Recent tournament play actually supports this theory. After winning the Second Chance Tournament, both Drew Goins and Will Yancey advanced all the way to the finals of the Champions Wildcard, and Goins even earned a spot in the Tournament of Champions. Is it possible that their first tournament served as a warm-up of sorts, giving them an advantage the other CWC players didn’t have?
We’ll just have to keep watching to see if anyone is ever able to break the GOAT’s 74-game record, but in the meantime, check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, and catch Celebrity Jeopardy! at 9 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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