The winner's prize in the first US season of Survivor was $1 million.
Survivor premiered on CBS in 2000, placing contestants on the island of Pulau Tiga in Malaysia. Participants formed alliances, competed in challenges and voted one another out at Tribal Council. The season's winner received the million-dollar grand prize, while the runner-up received $100,000.
The prize became one of the defining features of American reality competition television. Survivor's combination of strategic voting, outdoor endurance and social relationships created a format that was quickly adapted in many countries.
The show has continued to use a million-dollar top prize in its standard US seasons, although special editions and celebrity versions have used different structures or charitable donations. The first season is often remembered for establishing the phrase “The tribe has spoken” and the show's core elimination format.