“Millionaire” Ends Its “Club Millionaire” Viewer Appreciation Program
Seemingly out of no where, Who Wants to be a Millionaire has axed their giant gimmick for the season: Club Millionaire. Club Millionaire offered viewers points if they answered a Club question online, and points could be redeemed for discounts, prizes, and sweepstakes. One of the sweepstakes promised winners a chance to appear on the show. An email went out to club members yesterday that the program would end on December 6th. A letter was sent to members and posted online. The Club’s website now forwards to the show’s main site.
Here’s a copy of the letter sent to club members.
Dear Club Millionaire Members,
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are sorry to announce that, as of Tuesday, December 6, 2011, all activity related to Club Millionaire will be discontinued. We apologize for any disappointment this may cause and thank you for your participation of the Club. In the coming months, we will be exploring other options related to development and operation of a new Millionaire rewards program. Should a new Millionaire club be launched, please be assured that any points you’ve accumulated, thus far, will be transferred into the new program.
We appreciate your loyalty to “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” and hope you will continue to be an active viewer of the program.
As a member of Club Millionaire, I can tell you why it was axed–the points were utterly worthless. You’d have to watch 600 episodes to use them to buy something, and they didn’t do the one thing they should’ve, which was allow you to buy Millionaire branded stuff with the points. I’ll bet the three people who won a shot to play were either so awful that the show was unairable or they were ineligible to play.
600 episodes? Holy crap.
The problem with creating a “currency” is that if you don’t price it right it just completely falls apart- sounds like that’s what might’ve happened here.
Sounds like GSN’s Oodles program. When it started 2.5 years ago, prizes were reasonably priced and you could buy them right away. Good thing I got out of the program just in time. Nowadays, prizes are overpriced and placed into auctions where only one person can win them.
Who knows how much longer the Oodles program will last?
First of all, your overexaggerating on the number of shows. They only started Club Millionaire in September (around Labor Day), which is only a couple of months. Second, if you watched daily and entered the correct answer, you got 10 points (don’t know how many points for an incorrect answer) into your bank. I think over the number of shows with Club in existence you’d probably could have up to the maximum amount of points (which I think is around 700). And thirdly, the only reasons I could think of why they ceased Club is either that not enough people were redeeming their points or something happened with one of the 3 winners of getting a chance to go on that they decided to cease Club for now. Any other ideas?
OK, so let’s say you maxed out and have 700 points. What would you have been able to buy with those 700 points?
Buddy, for one thing I can do math and I haven’t overexaggerated a thing. For another, learn to spell “you’re” before you berate someone else’s post.
I don’t know if anyone has thought of this or not, but do you think they are getting rid of it because the writing is on the wall for the show? It’s just another thing to throw out there.
Well, ratings for the show have grown by double-digits, so it’s not that. The third-party that was handling the program went bust, so they have to find someone else.
If the ratings are really THAT good, WHICH I doubt is good enough for another season, any way I could request that Shandi Finnessey do a guest hosting spot?
I’ve wondered if this means this season or next will be the last for Millionaire.
Ending an online promotion doesn’t mean anything with regard to the show.
Right now, it does sound like one of the mentioned problems; Redeeming points. The points in comparison to prize cost. An issue with a contestant winning their way on. Will we know, I don’t know, but when a message reads “Do to reasons beyond our control…..” probably means that they were forced to shut down the Club for a big reason, like possibly a lawsuit, most likely because of a contestant winning their way on, or about someone getting a prize and something happening to the prize (not getting it, getting damaged, or getting shafted (like a 2 week vacation to Boston only to find out after getting the trip to find out its 6 days and at a hotel different from what they Club promised)). But really, thats just my guess.
First of all, JB (aka not-so-perfect Jesus), you could have bought quite a bit of stuff with those 700 (since most of the stuff you could redeem ranged between 1 point & 20 points; except the drawings they held for bigger prizes where you submitted at least 25 points for a chance to win that.
Secondly, I agree with Pat, that possibly a lawsuit might come up on the horizon due to a contestant or a Club Millionaire contest winner got either gypped or part of their prize that wasn’t what the prize described.
Thirdly, Millionaire’s show (like Family Feud) has been on the up & up. So get rid of any ideas that the show will be gone. Hope you have a “lifeline”, JB
I think the issue with the contestants “not taking the test” was the issue. Today’s first contestant wiped out on question 1. The audience gave bad advice, though. Still, she was way too nervous to be on the air. I don’t think she had an audition or anything. Straight to the studio and “here you go” deal