American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja
{{Short description|American reality TV obstacle racing team competition}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image = American Ninja Warrior Ninja vs Ninja Logo.webp
| genre = Sports competition
| creator =
| presenter = Matt Iseman
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
Alex Curry
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 3
| num_episodes = 26{{cite web|title=Team Ninja Warrior Listings|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/team-ninja-warrior/listings/|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=28 May 2016}}{{cite web|title=American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja Listings|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/american-ninja-warrior-ninja-vs-ninja/listings/|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=9 March 2018}}
| executive_producer = Arthur Smith
Brian Richardson
Kent Weed
| producer =
| location = Los Angeles, CA
| camera = Multi-camera
| runtime =
| company = A. Smith & Co. Productions
Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, inc.
| network = {{Plainlist |
- Esquire Network (2016)
- USA Network (2017–2018)
}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|2016|1|19}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2018|6|18}}
| related =
}}
American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja (formerly Team Ninja Warrior) is an American reality television obstacle racing team competition series and a spin-off of American Ninja Warrior. The series features ANW alumni racing in teams of three against each other, with the winners receiving a cash prize.
History
On October 9, 2015, Esquire Network announced a spin-off of American Ninja Warrior which would feature twenty-four 3-person teams (two men and one woman) of popular ANW alumni. The teams competed head-to-head against each other, running the course simultaneously, thus creating a new live duel dynamic. The two teams with the fastest times advance to the finale where one team will be crowned the winners and receive a cash prize. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila host alongside actor and journalist, Alex Curry.{{cite news|title=Esquire Network orders New High-Octane Competition Series "Team Ninja Warrior"|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2015/10/09/esquire-network-orders-new-high-octane-competition-series-team-ninja-warrior-136414/20151009esquire01/|access-date=October 20, 2015|work=The Futon Critic|publisher=Futon Media|date=October 9, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Bryant|first1=Jacob|title=TV News Roundup: 'American Ninja Warrior' Spinoff to Premiere in January & More|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/team-ninja-warrior-esquire-premiere-date-1201658657/|access-date=December 13, 2015|work=Variety|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=December 10, 2015}}{{cite web|title=Cast & Crew|url=http://tv.esquire.com/shows/team-ninja-warrior|website=tv.esquire.com|publisher=Esquire Network|access-date=December 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205225614/http://tv.esquire.com/shows/team-ninja-warrior|archive-date=December 5, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} The series is Esquire Network's most-watched program in the channel's history.
On May 31, 2016, Esquire Network announced a sixteen-episode second season that will also include a five-episode special college edition that will have college-aged competitors go head-to-head against rival schools.{{cite news|title=Esquire Network Announces Second Season of Hit Series "Team Ninja Warrior"|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/05/31/esquire-network-announces-second-season-of-hit-series-team-ninja-warrior-429314/20160531esquire02/|access-date=May 31, 2016|work=TheFuton Critic|date=May 31, 2016}}
On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Team Ninja Warrior would be moving to sibling cable channel USA Network as Esquire Network wound down its linear channel operations and relaunched as an online-only service. The show's second season premiered on April 18.[https://deadline.com/2017/03/team-ninja-warrior-moving-usa-network-esquire-1202037906/ ‘Team Ninja Warrior’ Moving To USA As Sibling Esquire Shuts Down Linear Service] - Deadline Hollywood (published March 6, 2017)
On October 5, 2017, it was announced by USA Network that the show would be retitled American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs Ninja starting with the show's third season, which premiered on March 1, 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://on-camera-audiences.com/shows/American_Ninja_Warrior_Ninja_vs_Ninja|title=American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs Ninja|website=On-Camera-Audiences|language=en|access-date=2017-10-16}}[https://www.americanninjawarriornation.com/2017/12/21/16803888/usa-network-announces-american-ninja-warrior-ninja-vs-ninja-debuts-spring USA Network announces ‘American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs Ninja’] - American Ninja Warrior Nation (published December 21, 2017)
Format
Each first-round episode consists of five matches: two seeding-round matches, two elimination matches (always pitting a seeding-round winner against a seeding-round loser), and the championship relay race. The four standard rounds features three heats, with the captains selecting opponents (men vs. men only), with the women racing against each other. The third heat is worth double points, with an extra race as a tiebreaker in the event of a 2-2 tie, while the relay race takes place on an extended course.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}
Once the contestant reaches the Dancing Stones, a contestant who fails any of the next obstacles (which alternate) or the Warped Wall (three-attempt rule in play) automatically loses. The player who advanced the furthest wins the heat, with whoever reached the previous obstacle the fastest being the tie-breaker. A ten-second penalty applies for failure to clear obstacles in the relay race, assessed to the next player on the team. In the relay final, the course's additional obstacles are the Salmon Ladder, Tilting Ladder, and conclude with a 30-foot spider climb leading to a 10-foot rope climb.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}
In contrast to the ANW rules, but like ANW Junior, which state that touching the water is not allowed, competitors are permitted to make contact with the water, but are disqualified if they completely fall or completely lose their grip on the obstacle. For instance, competitors can drag their feet through the pool on the Sonic Swing, but if they fall completely off the rope, they are disqualified. Often competitors will brush the water in an effort to catch up, but their slick feet most commonly hurt them later on obstacles such as the Warped Wall.{{Original research inline|date=June 2017}}
The newest season in 2018 has 36 teams of three competitors each, with major rule changes to the elimination rounds.
Each race will now be worth one point, again with the only restriction that the women must race each other. A team must will all three heats to win the round. If neither team sweeps the heats, the heats will be settled with a relay. Teams will assign competitors to one of three points, the start, after the second, and after the fourth obstacles. To win the match, the team up 2-1 must win one heat to win. If the team down 1-2 wins the heat, the two teams will conduct one sudden death relay to determine the winner. The winners of the two matches will play in the final, now nine obstacles, using the format except in the relay (used in the fourth and fifth heats if necessary), the exchange points will be after the third and sixth obstacles, respectively.{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/article/22612428/inside-new-american-ninja-warrior-spin-ninja-vs-ninja |title=Inside the new 'American Ninja Warrior' spin-off -- 'Ninja vs. Ninja' |author= |date=March 1, 2018 |website= ESPN|access-date=March 2, 2018 }} Also, there are no more sudden death matches.{{cite web |url=https://www.americanninjawarriornation.com/2018/2/28/17055630/american-ninja-warrior-ninja-vs-ninja-new-rules-changes |title= Get to know Ninja vs Ninja: New rules and format changes|author= |date=February 28, 2018 |website=American Ninja Warrior |access-date=March 2, 2018 }}
Series overview
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%;"
! style="width:9%;" | Season ! style="width:7%;" | First aired ! style="width:7%;" | Last aired ! style="width:9%;" | Champion ! style="width:9%;" | Runner-up ! style="width:9%;" | Third Place ! style="width:9%;" | Fourth Place ! style="width:16%;" colspan="2"| Hosts ! style="width:8%;" |Sideline reporter |
| scope="row"| 1
| January 19, 2016 | March 8, 2016 | Party Time | Team TNT |Team Ronin |Expendabulls | style="width:8%;" rowspan="4"| Matt Iseman | style="width:8%;" rowspan="4"| Akbar Gbaja-Biamila | style="width:8%;" rowspan="1"| Alex Curry |
|---|
| rowspan="1" scope="row"| College Madness
|November 22, 2016 | December 20, 2016 | MIT | Georgia | UCLA | style="width:8%;" rowspan="1"| Kacy Catanzaro |
| rowspan="1" scope="row"| 2
| April 18, 2017 | June 27, 2017 | Storm Team |Team TNT |rowspan=2| Iron Grip | Real Life Beasts | rowspan="2"| Alex Curry |
| scope="row"| 3
| March 1, 2018 | June 18, 2018 | Labreckfast Club | Team Ronin | Party Time |
Seasons
=Season 1 (2016)=
The first season of American Team Ninja Warrior occurred in the 2015-2016 TV season. The season was taped from October 21–23, 2015, in Long Beach, California. Of the competing teams, only one team was captained by a woman, that of Jessie Graff's, the "G-Force". Premiering on January 19, 2016, the season consisted of eight, hour-long episodes, exclusively on Esquire Network. The season ended with "Party Time", consisting of members Brian Arnold, Jake Murray, and Jennifer Tavernier crowned Team Ninja Warrior Champions, winning over "TNT", which included members Travis Rosen, Adam Arnold, and Joyce Shahboz. {{cite news |url= http://www.ibtimes.com/everything-you-need-know-about-team-ninja-warrior-future-american-ninja-warrior-2262004 |title= Everything You Need To Know About 'Team Ninja Warrior', 'The Future Of American Ninja Warrior' |author= Alex Garofalo |date= 2016-01-12 |work= International Business Times }}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center" | ||||||
| | {{nowrap| Team name }} | {{nowrap| Team captain }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | Results | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Team Alpha | Brent Steffensen | Evan Dollard | Kacy Catanzaro | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | ||
| | Average Jo Jos | Jo Jo Bynum | Jimmy Bogle Jr. | Caitlin Shukwit | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | ||
| | Elet-trikz | Elet Hall | Dillon Gates | Cassie Craig | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 | ||
| | Expendabulls | Kevin Bull | Alan Connealy | Luci Romberg | Finalist Episode 3 | Eliminated during qualifying in Finals Episode 2 | |
| | G-Force | {{nowrap| Jessie Graff }} | Nicholas Coolridge | Travis Brewer | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | Only team with a female captain | {{cite news |url= http://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/article/19176735/team-ninja-warrior-back-more-teams-three-female-captains-whole-lot-speed |title= 'Team Ninja Warrior' is back with more teams, three female captains and a whole lot of speed |author= Katie Barnes |date= 17 April 2017 |publisher= ESPN }} |
| | Golden Hearts | Neil Craver | Grant McCartney | Natalie Duran | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | ||
| | Invincabels | Abel Gonzalez | Nathan Jasso | Jeri D'Aurelio | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 6 | ||
| | Iron Grip | Daniel Gil | Sam Sann | Richelle Hepler | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 5 | ||
| | Karsonic Boom | Karson Voiles | Brandon Berrett | Beth Higginbotham | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 | ||
| | Lab Rats | Brian Wilczewski | Chris Wilczewski | Michelle Warnky | Finalist Episode 5 | Eliminated during the Relay Showdown in Finals Episode 2 | {{citation |url= http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Scoop-TEAM-NINJA-WARRIOR-on-Esquire-Today-March-8-2016-20160307 |title= Scoop: TEAM NINJA WARRIOR on Esquire - Tonight, March 8, 2016 |date= 8 March 2016 |work= TV Scoop |publisher= BWW: Broadway World }} |
| | Team Midoryama | Ian Dory | Dan Yager | Meagan Martin | Finalist Episode 2 | Eliminated during qualifying in Finals Episode 1 | |
| | Ninja Brittens | Geoff Britten | Dustin McKinney | Jessica Britten | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 | ||
| | NorCal Ninjas | David Campbell | Sean Noble | Rachel Mulvaney | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | ||
| | Party Time | Brian Arnold | {{nowrap| Jake Murray }} / {{nowrap| Travis Weinand }} | Jennifer Tavernier | bgcolor=gold color=white| {{nowrap| {{gold1}} Champion }} | Jake Murray suffered a leg injury during qualifying and was replaced by Travis Weinand for the Relay Showdown on Qualifying Episode 6 | |
| | Rahnaways | Jamie Rahn | Adam Grossman | Courtney Venuti | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 6 | ||
| | Real Life Beasts | Drew Drechsel | James McGrath | Erica Cook | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 6 | ||
| | Team Ronin | Flip Rodriguez | JJ Woods | Tiana Webberley | Finalist Episode 4 | Eliminated during qualifying in Finals Episode 1 | |
| | Storm Team Moravsky | Joe Moravsky | Rob Moravsky | Marybeth Wang | Finalist Episode 1 | Originally eliminated in the Relay Showdown in Episode 1 but were brought back as a Wildcard in the Finals; Eliminated during qualifying in Finals Episode 2 | |
| | Stratis Faction | Ryan Stratis | Mike Bernardo | Grace Jones | Finalist Episode 3 | Originally eliminated in the Relay Showdown in Episode 3 but were brought back as a Wildcard in the Finals; Eliminated during the Relay Showdown in Finals Episode 1 | |
| | Think Tank | Noah Kaufman | Matt Wilder | Asya Grechka | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 4 | ||
| | Team TNT | Travis Rosen | Adam Arnold | Joyce Shahboz | bgcolor=lightgreen color=black| {{nowrap| {{silver2}} Runner-up }} | {{cite web |url= https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/video/team-ninja-warrior-championship-relay-party-time-vs-team-tnt/vi-AAgy5BP |title= Team Ninja Warrior: Championship Relay - Party Time vs. Team TNT |date= 2016-03-09 |publisher= MSN Entertainment }} | |
| | Towers of Power | Brandon Mears | Dan Polizzi | {{nowrap| Selena Laniel }} / {{nowrap| Traci Dinwiddie }} | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 2 | Selena Laniel suffered a shoulder injury during qualifying and was replaced by Traci Dinwiddie for the Relay Showdown on Qualifying Episode 2 | |
| | Tré Amigoz | Tremayne Dortch | Andrew Lowes | Cassandra Dortch | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | ||
| | Wild Bunch | Lance Pekus | Ben Melick | Rose Wetzel | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 |
==Ratings==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:80%" |
| style="width:5%;"| No.
! style="width:20%;"| Episode ! style="width:15%;"| Air date ! style="width:10%;"| Timeslot (ET) ! style="width:10%;"| 18-49 rating ! style="width:10%;"| Viewers ! style="width:10%;"| Daily rank |
|---|
| 1
| "Qualifying Week 1" | January 19, 2016 | rowspan="8"| Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.09 | 105 |
| 2
| "Qualifying Week 2" | January 26, 2016 | 0.10 | 105 |
| 3
| "Qualifying Week 3" | February 2, 2016 | 0.07 | 143 |
| 4
| "Qualifying Week 4" | February 9, 2016 | 0.10 | 114 |
| 5
| "Qualifying Week 5" | February 16, 2016 | 0.07 | 141 |
| 6
| "Qualifying Week 6" | February 23, 2016 | 0.08 | 132 |
| 7
| "Finals Week 1" | March 1, 2016 | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | >150 |
| 8
| "Finals Week 2" | March 8, 2016 | 0.12 | 115 |
=''College Madness'' (2016)=
{{anchor|college madness|2016|season 1.5|Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness}}
Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness was a five-episode special season that premiered on November 22, 2016, on Esquire Network. Each episode featured teams, each consisting of two men and one woman, competing against other teams from various colleges and universities across the United States. At the end of each episode, the top two teams faced each other in a relay race, with the winner advancing to the finals. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila hosted with ANW fan favorite Kacy Catanzaro as the sideline reporter.{{cite web|title=Esquire Network Reveals the 16 Teams for "Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness" Series Premiering November 22|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/09/15/esquire-network-reveals-the-16-teams-for-team-ninja-warrior-college-madness-series-premiering-november-22-634010/20160915esquire01/|website=thefutoncritic.com|access-date=September 17, 2016}} The tournament was ultimately won by the University of Wisconsin, with a team consisting of Zack Kemmerer, Andrew Philibeck, and Taylor Amann.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center" | ||||||
| | {{nowrap| Team name }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | Results | Notes
!Refs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | UCLA Bruins | Carter Allen | James Vaughn | Amanda Adams | bgcolor=lightsteelblue color=white| {{nowrap| {{bronze3}} Finalist }} | ||
| | Colorado Buffaloes | Bobby Reedy | Matt Normile | Alexandra Regenold | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | ||
| | UConn Huskies | Perry Madison | Luke Adams | Jade Sharkany | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | ||
| | Florida Gators | Garrison Kalvin | Dane Brooks | Melissa Hill | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | ||
| | Georgia Bulldogs | Doug Legg | Bradley Schleicher | Victoria Case | bgcolor=lightsteelblue color=white| {{nowrap| {{bronze3}} Finalist }} | ||
| | Houston Cougars | Mathis "The Kid" Owhadi | Zach Tamayo | Haley Houston | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Week 1 | ||
| | Maryland Terrapins | Marcos Colon-Pappaterra | Kevin Merrick | Delaney Jordan | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Week 4 | ||
| | Michigan Wolverines | Karl Berkemeier | Joseph Craig | Liv Lang | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 | ||
| | MIT Engineers | Tomas Cabrera | Charlie Andrews | Amelia Becker | bgcolor=lightgreen color=white| {{nowrap| {{silver2}} Runner-up }} | ||
| | Ohio State Buckeyes | CJ Raterman | Clay Raterman | Brynn Schlemitz | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 | ||
| | Oklahoma Sooners | Taylor Neitsch | Reese Tomberlin | Candace Caldwell | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | ||
| | USC Trojans | Antonio Ayala | Julian Olea | Noelle Crowley | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Week 3 | ||
| | Stanford Cardinal | Nam Cuong | Will Roderick | Roshena MacPherson | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | ||
| | Texas A&M Aggies | Will Smithee | Collin Hummel | Kaiti Haymaker | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Week 2 | ||
| | TCU Horned Frogs | Nolan Smith | Alexander Parris | Emma Beserra | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | ||
| | Wisconsin Badgers | Zack Kemmerer | Andrew Philibeck | Taylor Amann | bgcolor=gold color=white| {{nowrap| {{gold1}} Champion }} | {{cite news |url= https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-students-nearly-crowned-ninja-warrior-champions-0104 |title= MIT team takes second place on nationally televised "Ninja Warrior" championships |author= Alice Waugh |date= 7 January 2017 |publisher= MIT News }} |
=Season 2 (2017)=
{{anchor|season 2|2017}}
The second season of Team American Ninja Warrior premiered on USA Network on April 18, 2017, with the season finale airing June 27, 2017. There were 28 teams; unlike season 1, in which only one team was captained by a woman, season 2 featured 3 teams captained by women.{{cite news |url= http://fansided.com/2017/03/30/team-ninja-warrior-season-2-april-18-exclusive-video/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170331082008/http://fansided.com/2017/03/30/team-ninja-warrior-season-2-april-18-exclusive-video/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= March 31, 2017 |title= Get ready for the return of Team Ninja Warrior with an exclusive clip |author= Nick Tylwalk |date= 30 March 2017 |publisher= Fansided }} The season ended with Storm Team, led by Joe Moravsky, being crowned as the new champions, with Travis Rosen's Team TNT finishing runner-up for the second year in a row.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center" | ||||||
| | {{nowrap| Team name }} | {{nowrap| Team captain }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | {{nowrap| Team member }} | Result | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Team Alpha | Brent Steffensen | Dillon Gates | Kacy Catanzaro | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 | ||
| | Average JoJo's | JoJo Bynum | Jimmy Bogle Jr | Kirsti Pratt | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | ||
| | The Ballers | Lorin Ball | Paul Kasemir | Meiling Huang | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 6 | ||
| | Flowmingo | Alan Connealy | JB Douglas | Luci Romberg | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 | ||
| | G-Force | {{nowrap| Jessie Graff }} | Nicholas Coolridge | Jesse La Flair | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | One of three teams with female captains | |
| | Golden Hearts | Neil Craver | Grant McCartney | Natalie Duran | Finalist Episode 1 | Eliminated during Qualifying in Finals Episode 2; Natalie Duran injured her ankle when she dismounted from the Tire Swing during the knockout round (Finals Episode 2) and was unable to finish her run | |
| | Team Grit | Kevin Bull | Lance Pekus | Maggi Thorne | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 | ||
| | Invincabels | Abel Gonzalez | Geoff Lancaster | Jeri D'Aurelio | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 7 | ||
| | Iron Grip | Daniel Gil | Nate Burkhalter/Scott Willson | Barclay Stockett | bgcolor=lightsteelblue color=white| {{nowrap| {{bronze3}} Finalist }} | Eliminated during the Relay Showdown in Finals Episode 1; Nate Burkhalter injured his shoulder during the qualifying round in Finals Episode 1 and was unable to continue, and alternate Scott Willson replaced him | |
| | Karsten's Fast Kats | Karsten Williams | Kevin Klein | Joy Strickland | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 5 | Returned in Wildcard Episode 2 but lost in the Relay Showdown again
| | |
| | Lab Rats | {{nowrap| Chris Wilczewski }} / {{nowrap| Brian Wilczewski }} | {{nowrap| Brian Wilczewski }} / {{nowrap| Arnold Hernandez }} | Michelle Warnky | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 4 | Team Captain Chris Wilczewski suffered an injury during qualifying, teammate Brian Wilczewski took over his on-course role, while injury replacement Arnold Hernandez took over Brian's spot, while Chris remained captain off-course | |
| | Labreckfast Club | {{nowrap| Jesse Labreck }} | Jon Alexis Jr | Noel Reyes | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 6 | One of three teams with female captains | |
| | Mega Crushers | {{nowrap| Meagan Martin }} | Ian Dory | Dan Yager | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | One of three teams with female captains | |
| | Ninja Brittens | Geoff Britten | Jessica Britten/Sarah Schoback | Mike Chick | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 7 | Jessica Britten was replaced by Sarah Schoback due to heat exhaustion | |
| | NorCal Ninjas | David Campbell | Brian Kretsch/Sean Bryan | Anna Shumaker | Finalist Wildcard Episode 2 | Originally eliminated in the Relay Showdown in Episode 1 but went on to win in Wildcard Episode 2; Brian Kretsch suffered a shoulder injury during Wildcard Episode 2 and was replaced by alternate Sean Bryan; eliminated during Qualifying in Finals Episode 2 | |
| | Party Time | Brian Arnold | Jake Murray | Jennifer Tavernier | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | ||
| | Phoenix Force | Najee Richardson | Dan Galiczynski | Cassie Craig | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 | ||
| | Real Life Beasts | Drew Drechsel | James McGrath | Erica Cook/Sarah Schoback | bgcolor=lightsteelblue color=white| {{nowrap| {{bronze3}} Finalist }} | McGrath injured his shoulder during his first run in Qualifying, but was able to continue; Erica Cook had ACL injury during the knockout round in Finals Episode 2 and was replaced in the Relay Showdown by Sarah Schoback; eliminated during Relay Showdown in Finals Episode 2 | |
| | Team Ronin | Flip Rodriguez | JJ Woods | Tiana Webberley | Finalist Episode 7 | Eliminated during qualifying in Finals Episode 1 | |
| | Storm Team | Joe Moravsky | Josh Levin | Allyssa Beird | bgcolor=gold color=white| {{nowrap| {{gold1}} Champion }} | ||
| | Stratis Faction | Ryan Stratis | Mike Bernardo | Grace Sims | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 6 | ||
| | Superhero Squad | Jamie Rahn | Sean Darling Hammond | Rachael Goldstein | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 3 | The Superhero Squad won the Relay Showdown on Wildcard Episode 1 but then lost to the NorCal Ninjas during the Relay Showdown on Wildcard Episode 2 | |
| | Team Tarzan | Ben Melick | Travis Weinand | Rose Wetzel | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | ||
| | Team TNT | Travis Rosen | Brett Sims | Marybeth Wang | bgcolor=lightgreen color=white| {{nowrap| {{silver2}} Runner-up }} | Won the Relay Showdown in Finals Episode 2 but lost to Storm Team in the Championship Relay | |
| | Think Tank | Noah Kaufman | Matt Wilder | Asya Grechka | Finalist Episode 3 | Eliminated during qualifying in Finals Episode 1 | |
| | Towers of Power | Brandon Mears | Dan Polizzi | Selena Laniel | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 7 | ||
| | Tre Amigoz | Tremayne Dortch | Andrew Lowes | Melody Schofield | Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | ||
| | The Wings | Thomas Stillings | David Yarter | Melanie Hunt | Eliminated in Relay Showdown Episode 2 | Returned in Wildcard Episode 1 but lost again in the Relay Showdown |
==Ratings==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:80%" |
| style="width:5%;"| No.
! style="width:20%;"| Episode ! style="width:15%;"| Air date ! style="width:10%;"| Timeslot (ET) ! style="width:10%;"| 18-49 rating ! style="width:10%;"| Viewers ! style="width:10%;"| Daily rank |
|---|
| 1
| "Qualifying Week 1" | April 18, 2017 | rowspan="11"| Tuesday 10:00 p.m. | 0.31 | 15 |
| 2
| "Qualifying Week 2" | April 25, 2017 | 0.28 | 23 |
| 3
| "Qualifying Week 3" | May 2, 2017 | 0.30 | 22 |
| 4
| "Qualifying Week 4" | May 9, 2017 | 0.30 | 29 |
| 5
| "Qualifying Week 5" | May 16, 2017 | 0.27 | 32 |
| 6
| "Qualifying Week 6" | May 23, 2017 | 0.27 | 28 |
| 7
| "Qualifying Week 7" | May 30, 2017 | 0.37 | 10 |
| 8
| "Wildcard Week 1" | June 6, 2017 | 0.35 | 13 |
| 9
| "Wildcard Week 2" | June 13, 2017 | 0.30 | 26 |
| 10
| "Finals Week 1" | June 20, 2017 | 0.38 | 10 |
| 11
| "Finals Week 2" | June 27, 2017 | 0.33 | 13 |
= Season 3 (2018) =
Season 3 of the show, now dubbed as American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja, premiered on March 1, 2018 with the finale airing on June 18, 2018. The competition was won by the only female-led team, Jesse “Flex” Labreck’s Labreckfast Club.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center"
|+ !Team Name !Team Captain !Team Member !Team Member !Result !Notes |
| All-American Ninjas
|Jonathan Horton/Reko Rivera |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 |Returned in Wild Card episode 1 but lost to Frostbite; Jonathan Horton injured his foot prior to Wild Card episode 1 and was unable to compete, thus he was replaced by alternate Reko Rivera |
| Team Alpha
|Brent Steffensen |David Yarter |Sydney Olson |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 6 | |
| Average JoJo's
|JoJo Bynum |Jimmy Bogle Jr |Jessica Clayton |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 | |
| The Ballers
|Lorin Ball |Paul Kasemir |Meiling Huang |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 4 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in Episode 6, but then defeated Three Wishes to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Team Ronin in the playoffs |
| Beasts from the East
|James McGrath |Dave Cavanagh |Erica Cook |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 1 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in Episode 1 but then defeated the Wisco Warriors in Wild Card Episode 2 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Iron Grip in the playoffs |
| Big Dog Ninjas
|Jody Avila |Josh Salinas |Brandi Monteverde |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 6 |Returned in Wild Card episode 2 but lost to the Hashtag Ninjas |
| Brazi Bros
|Lucas Gomes |Alexio Gomes |Brittany Reid |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | |
| Dark Horse
|Lance Pekus |Karson Voiles |Tammy McClure |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 |Returned in Wild Card episode 1 but lost to NorCal Ninjas |
| Expendabulls
|Kevin Bull |Thaddeus Robeck |Maggi Thorne |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 7 | |
| Frostbite
|Nick Hanson |Jackson Meyer |Zhanique Lovett |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 2 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in episode 8 but then defeated the All-American Ninjas to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Labreckfast club in the playoffs |
| Golden Hearts
|Neil Craver |Grant McCartney |Natalie Duran |Eliminated Relay Showdown Playoffs Episode 1 |Won Episode 5 to advance to the playoffs; lost to Iron Grip in relay showdown in the playoffs |
| Hashtag Ninjas
|Nicholas Coolridge |Jesse La Flair |Larissa Cottle |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 3 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in Episode 1 but then defeated the Big Dog Ninjas to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Party Time in the playoffs |
| Hazard Brigade
|Mike Bernardo |Mike Needham |Grace Sims |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 9 |Returned in Wild Card Episode 2 but lost to Team Wolfpack |
| Invincabels
|Abel Gonzalez |Marybeth Wang |Victor Juarez |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 7 | |
| Iron Grip
|Daniel Gil |Tiana Webberley |Mathis Owhadi |bgcolor=lightsteelblue color=white| {{nowrap| {{bronze3}} Finalist }} |Won Episode 7 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated in qualifying by Team Ronin during Finals |
| Karsten's Fast Kats
|Karsten Williams |Kevin Klein |Lauren Keen |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 3 | |
| Lab Rats
|Chris Wilczewski |Brian Wilczewski |Michelle Warnky |Eliminated Relay Showdown Playoffs Episode 4 |Won Episode 6 to advance to the playoffs; lost to Team Ronin in relay showdown in the playoffs |
| Labreckfast Club
|Jesse Labreck |Jon Alexis Jr |Chris DiGangi |bgcolor=gold color=white| {{nowrap| {{gold1}} Champion }} |Only team with a female captain; Won Episode 2 to advance to the playoffs and defeated Team Ronin to win the championship |
| Lizard Kings
|Hunter Guerard |Sarah Schoback |Kyle Soderman |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 3 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in episode 7, but then defeated Midwest Muscle in Wild Card episode 1 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Tri-Hards in the playoffs |
| Midwest Muscle
|Tyler Yamauchi |Ethan Swanson |Kirsti Pratt |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 |Returned in Wild Card episode 1 but lost to Lizard Kings |
| NorCal Ninjas
|David Campbell |Brian Kretsch |Anna Shumaker |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 1 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in episode 4,but then beat Dark Horse in Wild Card Episode 1 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Golden Hearts in the playoffs |
| Party Time
|Brian Arnold |Jake Murray |Barclay Stockett |bgcolor=lightsteelblue color=white| {{nowrap| {{bronze3}} Finalist }} |Won Episode 3 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated in qualifying by Labreckfast Club during Finals |
| Phoenix Force
|Najee Richardson |Michael Torres |Cassie Craig |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 2 |Won Episode 8 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Team Wolfpack in the playoffs |
| Team Ronin
|Flip Rodriguez |JJ Woods |Meagan Martin |bgcolor=lightgreen color=white| {{nowrap| {{silver2}} Runner-up }} |Won Episode 1 to advance to the playoffs; defeated in the championship relay by Labreckfast Club in the Finals |
| Superhero Squad
|Jamie Rahn |Sean Darling-Hammond |Rachael Goldstein |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 9 | |
| Team Tarzan
|Ben Melick |Travis Weinand |Emmi Rose |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 2 | |
| Think Tank
|Noah Kaufman |Matt Wilder |Leila Noone |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 8 | |
| Three Wishes
|Thomas Stillings |Brittany Hanks |Brian Burkhardt/Geoff Lancaster |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 |Brian Burkhardt injured his shoulder during the first Relay Showdown and was replaced in the second by alternate Geoff Lancaster; returned in Wild Card episode 2 but lost to the Ballers |
| Team TNT
|Travis Rosen |Brett Sims |Emily Durham |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 8 | |
| Towers of Power
|Dan Polizzi |Selena Laniel |Nate Burkhalter |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 5 | |
| Tre Amigoz
|Tremayne Dortch |Andrew Lowes |Meghan Beatty |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 4 | |
| Tri-Hards
|Sean Bryan |Adam Rayl |Rebekah Bonilla |Eliminated Relay Showdown Playoffs Episode 3 |Won Episode 9 to advance to the playoffs; lost to Party Time in relay showdown in the playoffs |
| West Coast Warriors
|Alan Connealy |JB Douglas |Lindsey Eskildsen |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 1 | |
| Wisco Warriors
|Drew Knapp |Sara Heesen/Christine Ahn |Andrew Philibeck |Eliminated Qualifying Episode 9 |Returned in Wild Card Episode 2 but lost to the Beasts from the East; Sara Heesen injured her sternum during qualifying in Episode 9 and was replaced in the Wild Card round by alternate Christine Ahn |
| Team Wolfpack
|Ian Dory |Jeri D'Aurelio |Dan Yager |Eliminated Relay Showdown Playoffs Episode 2 |Originally eliminated during qualifying in Episode 4 but then defeated Hazard Brigade to advance to the playoffs; lost to Labreckfast club in relay showdown in the playoffs |
| Young Bloods
|Tyler Gillett |Kevin Carbone |Bree Widener |Eliminated Qualifying Playoffs Episode 4 |Won Episode 4 to advance to the playoffs; eliminated by Lab Rats in the playoffs |
==Ratings==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:80%" |
| style="width:5%;"| No.
! style="width:20%;"| Episode ! style="width:15%;"| Air date ! style="width:10%;"| Timeslot (ET) ! style="width:10%;"| 18-49 rating ! style="width:10%;"| Viewers ! style="width:10%;"| Daily rank |
|---|
| 1
| "Qualifying Episode 1" | March 1, 2018 | rowspan="6"| Thursday 9:00 p.m. | 0.21 | 48 |
| 2
| "Qualifying Episode 2" | March 8, 2018 | 0.22 | 35 |
| 3
| "Qualifying Episode 3" | March 15, 2018 | 0.21 | 51 |
| 4
| "Qualifying Episode 4" | March 22, 2018 | 0.22 | 38 |
| 5
| "Qualifying Episode 5" | March 29, 2018 | 0.21 | 41 |
| 6
| "Qualifying Episode 6" | April 5, 2018 | 0.21 | 35 |
| 7
| "Qualifying Episode 7" | April 9, 2018 | rowspan="10"| Monday 11:05 p.m. | 0.31 | 21 |
| 8
| "Qualifying Episode 8" | April 16, 2018 | 0.32 | 21 |
| 9
| "Qualifying Episode 9" | April 23, 2018 | 0.23 | 33 |
| 10
| "Wildcard Episode 1" | April 30, 2018 | 0.29 | 22 |
| 11
| "Wildcard Episode 2" | May 7, 2018 | 0.24 | 27 |
| 12
| "Playoffs Episode 1" | May 14, 2018 | 0.27 | 20 |
| 13
| "Playoffs Episode 2" | May 28, 2018 | 0.24 | 34 |
| 14
| "Playoffs Episode 3" | June 4, 2018 | 0.23 | 32 |
| 15
| "Playoffs Episode 4" | June 11, 2018 | 0.32 | 21 |
| 16
| "The Finals" | June 18, 2018 | 0.25 | 27 |
Ratings
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height:16px; width:80%;" |
| style="width:13%;" rowspan="2"| Season
! style="width:10%;" rowspan="2"| Time slot (ET) ! style="width:7%;" rowspan="2"| Episodes ! colspan=2| Premiered ! colspan=2| Ended ! rowspan=2 style="width:6%;"| Network ! style="width:6%;" rowspan="2"| TV season ! rowspan=2| Title |
|---|
| style="width:10%;"| Date
! span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; line-height:100%;"| {{small|Premiere viewers ! style="width:10%;"| Date ! span style="width:7%; font-size:smaller; line-height:100%;"| {{small|Finale viewers |
| 1
| rowspan="2"| Tuesday 8:00 pm | 8 | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|January 19, 2016}} | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|March 8, 2016}} | rowspan="2"| Esquire Network | 2015-16 | rowspan="3"| Team Ninja Warrior |
| College Madness
| 5 | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|November 22, 2016}} | {{n/a}} | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|December 20, 2016}} | {{n/a}} | rowspan="2"| 2016-17 |
| 2
| Tuesday 10:00 pm | 11 | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|April 18, 2017}} | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|June 27, 2017}} | rowspan="2"| USA |
| 3
| Thursday 9:00 pm (1-6) | 16 | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|March 1, 2018}} | style="font-size:11px;line-height:110%"|{{center|June 18, 2018}} | 2017-18 | American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja |
Broadcast syndication
The series aired on Esquire Network for Season 1 only in 2016. The second season premiered on USA due to Esquire's shutdown as a TV network, as well as third season premiering in 2018. In addition to American Ninja Warrior Jr., Universal Kids acquired the rights to the series and started airing it in 2019.
Spin-offs
=Foreign editions=
- Team Ninja Warrior Denmark ({{langx|da|Team Ninja Warrior Danmark}}) premiered on 4 September 2016 on Kanal 5.{{Cite web |url=http://www.teamninjawarrior.dk/ |title=Team Ninja Warrior – Danmark |access-date=2019-09-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409202600/http://www.teamninjawarrior.dk/ |archive-date=2017-04-09 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url= http://cphpost.dk/news/team-ninja-warrior-competition-coming-to-denmark.html |title= Team Ninja Warrior competition coming to Denmark |author= Lucie Rychla |date= 2 September 2016 |publisher= CPH Post }}{{cite web |url= http://discoverynetworks.dk/efteraar2016/team-ninja-warrior-danmark |title= Team Ninja Warrior Danmark |publisher= Discovery Networks Danmark |date= 2016 |language=da}}
- Team Ninja Warrior Germany will premiere in 2018 on RTL.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtl.de/cms/rtl-plant-team-ninja-warrior-germany-fuer-2018-4130093.html|title= RTL plant "Team Ninja Warrior Germany" für 2018|trans-title=RTL plans "Team Ninja Warrior Germany" for 2018|publisher=RTL Television|date=17 October 2017|language=de}}
- Ninja Warrior Poland: Ninja vs. Ninja (Polish: Ninja vs. Ninja NWP) will premiere on 4 March 2025 on Polsat. Unlike other versions, this spin-off was served as the tenth season of Ninja Warrior Poland (Polish: Ninja Warrior Polska).{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2025 |title=„Ninja vs Ninja”: Nowa odsłona show „Ninja Warrior Polska” |url=https://www.polsat.pl/news/2025-01-30/ninja-vs-ninja-nowa-odslona-show-ninja-warrior-polska/ |url-status=live |website=Polsat}}
Notes
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.usanetwork.com/anw-ninja-vs-ninja/ Website]
{{American Ninja Warrior}}
{{Ninja Warrior}}
{{USANetwork Shows}}
Category:American television spinoffs
Category:Reality television spinoffs
Category:2010s American game shows
Category:2010s American reality television series
Category:2016 American television series debuts
Category:2018 American television series endings