ABC is set to pay out more than $460,000 to contestants after the company behind the Lucky 13 game show declared bankruptcy.
The series premiered last July, and was hosted by former basketball star Shaquille O’Neal and actor Gina Rodriguez.
Deadline reports that even though ABC is not under a legal obligation to pay the show’s winners, the Disney-owned network has decided to make sure contestants receive the prize money they are owed.
The show aired on ABC under an unusual business model. UK-based production company Studio 1 paid for Lucky 13 upfront in exchange for a share of ABC’s advertising and product placement sales.
After revenue fell well short of expectations, the show was not renewed for a second season and two companies set up by Studio 1, Lucky 13 Holdings and Studio 13 Entertainment, effectively declared bankruptcy.
Last November, Studio 1 CEO Adrian Woolfe told Deadline: “We are in the process of taking proactive protective steps to restructure the Studio 1 business and to unlock and protect the value of the now-proven Lucky 13 IP.
“Rather than it being a direct commission, the unique commercial model on which the debut series was launched in the US was underpinned by advertising revenues which given well-publicized market conditions regrettably, but unavoidably, fell acutely short of forecasts.”
Prize winners, as well as hosts O’Neal and Rodriguez, were reportedly not paid. 13 contestants were owed prize money totaling $461,500, with individual prizes ranging from $3,750 to $125,000.
The Independent has approached Disney for comment.
Lucky 13 saw contestants asked 13 true-or-false trivia questions. They then had to accurately predict how many of those 13 questions they answered correctly in the hope of taking home a $1 million jackpot. It was available on Disney+ and Hulu as well as ABC.
“I’ve been friends with Ludacris for over 30 years,” he told People. “Ludacris used to come by my house every time he was in LA unannounced, just to get some of my chef’s cake.”
O’Neal added: “And John Summit is a good friend of mine and said he’d love to be involved.”
According to the former NBA star, he’s also been friends with headlining rapper Kendrick Lamar for quite some time too, explaining: “I know Kendrick personally, so I know he’s going to put on a fabulous show.”
In the game itself, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to defend their championship title for a third consecutive year — this time against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl is set to kick off in New Orleans, Louisiana, beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST.
