Overview

• Genius Game, a mental challenge reality competition, launched on April 30, 2025, with 1.2 million viewers but has since dropped to 739,000 live viewers by its third episode.
• ITV has reduced the show’s airing frequency from two episodes per week to one, citing poor live ratings as a key factor.
• Catch-up streaming on ITVX has partially offset low linear ratings, with consolidated viewership reaching 1.9 million for episode one and 1.3 million for episode two.
• Audience confusion over the show’s complex rules has been widely cited on social media as a barrier to engagement, with some viewers describing the format as difficult to follow.
• The show has been significantly outperformed by BBC One’s Race Across the World, which averages 3.3 million viewers, raising questions about its viability in a competitive primetime slot.