How ‘Jeopardy!’ players lose money before they get a shot at winning any

You win some, you lose some.

“Jeopardy!” bosses have revealed that contestants often must cover their own airfare to Culver City, Los Angeles, where Sony Pictures Studios’ stage is set — but, under certain extraordinary circumstances, contestants can get their tickets paid-for by the game show.

They explained how on a recent episode of the “Inside Jeopardy!” podcast. Producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss dished on contestants and winners’ transportation efforts.

“Our contestants are asked to fly themselves out to Los Angeles for their first appearance,” Foss said. “If they end up being a returning champion then we do provide travel for them on their return trips out here.”

“So, a lot of incentive to go on a super streak,” she added. “Maybe that’s — all the rising airfare costs — maybe that’s what led to all of our super streaks [last season].”

Foss then noted how there is a very tight window for players between getting invited to appear on the show and when the episode airs.

She continued, “It can vary. We hope to let them know a month in advance, but sometimes it’s a shorter window.”

If certain contestants can’t make the trek to Hollywood, then the show “always has Los Angeles locals as an alternate.”

Trivia fan convention SporcleCon hosted a panel in Washington D.C. last month in which former champ Austin Rogers asserted that show producers should be paying for contestants’ hotel and airfare.

“I am strongly in the camp they should increase consolation prizes [too],” said a panelist whose name was not reported in The Sun’s “exclusive.” That panelist added, “If you don’t win you pay for your hotel and airfare and you might only get $1000 before tax, which is wild.”

The 2017 book “Focus On: 100 Most Popular Series on Sony” stated that consolation prizes have not increased their amount since 2002. Those packages range from $1,000 to $2,000.

According to the book, between 1984 and 2002, “non-winning contestants received vacation packages and merchandise.” However, before 1984, all contestants had been gifted their earnings in cash.

The book also revealed how cash winnings were “changed in order to make the game more competitive, and avoid the problem of contestants who would stop participating in the game, or avoid wagering in Final Jeopardy!, rather than risk losing the money they had already.”

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter previously let on how much game show hosts actually make, noting quiz masters make between $25,000 to $75,000 a week. And the late great “Jeopardy!” emcee Alex Trebek cashed in a reported $10 million annually.