“Beast Games” partnership with MoneyLion sparks controversy: here’s why

Following the highly anticipated release of “Beast Games,” a consumer advocate is voicing concerns about the show’s partnership with a financial technology company.

The first two episodes of “Beast Games,” hosted by YouTube creator James “Jimmy” Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, premiered on Prime Video on Thursday. According to the show’s description, 1,000 contestants compete in physical and mental challenges over 10 episodes for prizes including $5 million, a private island and Lamborghinis.

But after the premiere, a consumer advocate said the show’s partnership with financial technology company MoneyLion could be concerning, particularly given MrBeast’s younger demographic.

Additionally, “Beast Games” made headlines before its release after five participants sued Donaldson and Amazon for workplace abuse.

Concerns about a fintech partnership are increasing

In the second episode of “Beast Games,” viewers are asked to scan a QR code to learn about a $4.2 million sweepstakes through MoneyLion. To participate, viewers must create a free MoneyLion account. However, according to the rules of the Sweepstakes, no purchase, payment or deposit is required to enter or win.

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Although participants in the sweepstakes are not required to take any financial action through MoneyLion, the financial technology company promotes its services, which include personal loans, instant cash, financial tracking and credit building.

Lauren Saunders, deputy director of the National Consumer Law Center, said companies like MoneyLion are a “new generation” of fintech payday loan companies. A payday loan is a short-term, high-interest loan that is typically due on the borrower’s next payday.

“We see a lot of these predatory lenders offering loans that can equate to 300% APR but are covered in all sorts of euphemisms,” Saunders said of MoneyLion. “Offering competitions and the like to get young people excited is just one way to attract people to debt trap loans, which increase overdraft fees and put them behind on their financial goals.”

According to Parrot Analytics, 46% of MrBeast’s audience consists of viewers between the ages of 13 and 22. Saunders said she found it “really depressing” that fintech companies like MoneyLion were using “attractive” apps to lure young people.

“You can make a lot of money off of vulnerable people,” she said.

In a statement shared with USA TODAY, a MoneyLion spokesperson clarified that the sweepstakes is only open to adults 18 and older.

“MoneyLion’s mission is to empower everyone to make their best financial decisions and achieve better results,” the spokesperson said. “We remain focused on ensuring that the terms and conditions of our products and services are accessible, fair and designed to achieve the best outcomes for our customers.”

What is the “Beast Games” lawsuit about?

In September, five “Beast Games” participants filed a class-action lawsuit against MrBeast and Amazon for workplace abuse, citing denial of wages, unsafe working conditions and “a culture of misogyny and sexism.”

More:YouTuber MrBeast and Amazon sued by reality show contestants for abuse and harassment

The lawsuit addresses the job created during “Episode Zero” of “Beast Games” earlier this year. In the episode, which is available on MrBeast’s YouTube channel and is not part of the official Amazon series, 2,000 contestants compete for the $5 million prize at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This video was used to select the final 1,000 contestants for the Amazon series, which was filmed in Toronto, Canada.

According to the lawsuit, participants were deprived of food, sleep and proper medical care. The lawsuit alleges that several participants suffered physical injuries or were hospitalized during production. The lawsuit also alleges that women suffered “significant embarrassment” on set and that production did not conduct thorough background checks.

The lawsuit also alleges that “Beast Games” participants had to enter into “illegal contracts” that misclassified them as volunteers in order for the show to receive tax breaks during filming in Las Vegas.

Amazon declined to comment and MrBeast’s team did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit when contacted by USA TODAY on Thursday and Friday.

Here’s how to watch Beast Games

Beast Games is only available to stream on Prime Video. The first two episodes were released on Thursday and a new episode will be released every Thursday at 12pm EST until February 13th. The series consists of a total of 10 episodes, each about 40 minutes long.

Who is MrBeast?

Donaldson, 26, is a YouTube content creator with more than 337 million YouTube subscribers, making his channel the most subscribed on the platform. He is known for videos featuring outsized contests and expensive raffles.

Donaldson’s most-watched video (as of Friday) was a version of the Netflix series “Squid Games.” In the video, Donaldson pits 456 contestants against each other to win a $456,000 prize. However, unlike the Netflix series, no one actually dies. As of Friday, the video had more than 678 million views.

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