“‘THE GAME IS CHANGING… AND NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY ABOUT IT.’” After months of speculation, Jeopardy! Masters is officially returning — but with a major twist that has fans talking. The hit tournament is coming back with fewer contestants, a shorter format, and a lineup packed with some of the biggest names in modern Jeopardy! history. While some viewers are excited for a more intense competition, others are already questioning the changes after last season’s ratings dip. A new format. A $500,000 prize. And a battle between some of the most dominant champions the show has ever produced. The countdown to Jeopardy! Masters Season 4 has officially begun.

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‘Jeopardy! Masters’ Season 4 Premiere Date Announced: Who’s Competing & What’s Different

Ken Jennings, 'Jeopardy! Masters,' Season 4, ABC, premieres August 25, 2026.
Disney/Christopher Willard

Jeopardy! Masters fans fear not, as the show will soon return for another season of trivia competition. But this time it will be different with just six competitors taking part and a shorter season.

When ABC announced its initial summer schedule, fans noticed that the game show was missing from the lineup. Reddit users shared how they didn’t think Masters needed to be an annual show, especially since ESPN Jeopardy!, hosted by Joe Buck, is premiering this summer. Pop Culture Jeopardy!, hosted by Colin Jost, returned for its second season in May.

Season 3, which aired in 2025, had lower ratings than Season 2. Some fans said they didn’t like the time change (the show moved from 8 pm to 9 pm), while others complained they were growing bored with tournaments featuring the same Jeopardy! contestants that they’d seen many times before. The show features notable Jeopardy! champions who compete against each other in a Champion-League style format.

Now, the latest group of Jeopardy! champions will go head-to-head when Masters returns later this year.

Scroll down to learn everything we know about Jeopardy! Masters Season 4, including when it premieres on ABC.

Is Jeopardy! Masters returning for another season?

Jeopardy! Masters: Season Four; ABC Series Renewed & Returning This Summer - canceled + renewed TV shows, ratings - TV Series Finale

Yes. ABC announced on June 18 that the series will return for Season 4.

When will Jeopardy! Masters Season 4 air?

The first four episodes of Season 4 will air on ABC from Tuesday, August 25, through Friday, August 28, at 8/7c. Episodes 5 through 8 will air on Tuesday, September 1, through Friday, September 4. The Season 4 finale will premiere on ABC on Tuesday, September 8. New episodes will stream the next day on Hulu.

Who hosts Jeopardy! Masters?

Like all of the other versions of Jeopardy!, aside from the spinoffs mentioned above, Ken Jennings hosts Masters.

Who will compete on Jeopardy! Masters Season 4?

Jeopardy! Masters Fans Predict Whether 2025 Tournament Ratings Will Suffer Without James Holzhauer After His Stunning Reason For Not Competing

This season there will be just six competitors, compared with nine in previous seasons. Reigning Jeopardy! Masters champion Yogesh Raut will return alongside finalists Juveria Zaheer and Victoria Groce. Season 4 lineup of competitors also includes 2026 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Paolo Pasco, 2026 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament winner Andrew He and runner-up Long Nguyen.

Who are the previous winners of Jeopardy! Masters?

James Holzhauer, 32-game champion, won Season 1, while Victoria Groce, Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament winner, took the title for Season 2. Raut, the 2024 Tournament of Champions winner, won Season 3.

What do the Jeopardy! Masters champions win?

Aside from the glory and the title of Jeopardy! Masters champion, the winner of the season receives $500,000 and the Alex Trebek trophy. The show also donates $100,000 to the charity of their choice.

Jeopardy! Masters, Season 4 premiere, Tuesday, August 25, 8/7c, ABC