International Broadcasts Wiki


Gladiators is a sports entertainment television show that was an international success during the 1990s and early 2000s with versions of the show being filmed for local broadcasters in the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Nigeria, and Denmark. Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea and the Bahamas would also compete in international shows during the series, despite the fact that they did not have their own domestic series.

After a lengthy break, Gladiators was revived in 2008 in the UK, the US and Australia; in 2009 Lebanon created their own series featuring competitors from all over the Arab region and in 2012 Sweden brought back their version which proved most successful of all revivals, with another revival airing in Finland during 2017 and 2019. A further British revival and an Australian revival began airing in 2024.

The concept of the show is that athletic members of the public battle against the show's own Gladiators (often semi-professional or ex-athletes) to claim points in several events that require speed, strength and skill. In the final event of the show, "The Eliminator" the contenders race against each other (with starting times based on previous events), with the first to finish winning the episode and moving onto the next round.

A children's derivative of the concept was also made in the US, called Gladiators 2000 (a.k.a G2) (1994–1996). A UK variant of this was aired starting in 1995, called Gladiators: Train 2 Win. A one-off, celebrity derivative primetime special in the US, called Superstar American Gladiators aired on ABC on May 4, 1995.

International versions[]

Domestic series[]

Country/Region Name Network Filming location Presenter(s)
Arab World المصارعون LBCI LBC Television Studios, Adma wa Dafneh, Lebanon Zeina Khoury, Nasser Abu Lafi
Australia Gladiators Seven Network Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Kimberley Joseph, Aaron Pedersen, Mike Hammond
The Dome, Sydney Showground, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Tom Williams, Zoe Naylor
Network 10 Disney Studios Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Beau Ryan, Liz Ellis
Denmark Gladiatorerne TV3 Ikast Stadome, Ikast, Denmark Lotte Thor-Jensen, Jakob Kjeldbjerg
Finland Gladiaattorit MTV3 Planet FunFun, Kerava, Finland (1993–1994)
Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, Tampere, Finland (2019)
Juha-Pekka 'JP' Jalo, Katariina Ebeling, Viivi Pumpanen
Nelonen Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, Tampere, Finland Minna Aaltonen, Heikki Paasonen
France Gladiators: Qui osera les défier? TF1 Aren'Ice, Cergy, France Denis Brogniart, Hélène Mannarino
Japan バン!バン!バン!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fuji Television Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan George Tokoro, Silvia Tomoko Kane
Nigeria MTN Gladiators M-Net National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria Ken Cyril Nta, Rich Cyril Nta
South Africa MTN Gladiators SABC 3 Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa (1999–2000)
Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa (2001)
Ursula Stapelfeldt, Glenn Hicks, James Lennox
Sweden Gladiatorerna TV4 Kupolen, Borlänge, Sweden (2000-2001)
Växjö Tipshall, Växjö, Sweden (2001-2002)
Nordichallen, Sundsvall, Sweden (2004)
Gunde Svan, Agneta Sjödin
Löfbergs Arena, Karlstad, Sweden (2012-2013)
Nordichallen, Sundsvall, Sweden (2014-2018)
Gry Forssell, Anders Timell
United Kingdom Gladiators ITV National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, U.K. Ulrika Jonsson, John Fashanu, Jeremy Guscott
Sky1 Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, England, U.K. Ian Wright, Kirsty Gallacher, Caroline Flack
BBC One Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England, U.K. Bradley Walsh, Barney Walsh
United States American Gladiators Syndication Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, California, U.S. (1989-1991)
CBS Studio Center, Studio City, California, U.S. (1992-1996)
Mike Adamle, Joe Theismann, Todd Christensen, Larry Csonka, Lisa Malosky, Danny Lee Clark
NBC Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California, U.S. (season 1)
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (season 2)
Hulk Hogan, Laila Ali
Amazon Prime Video TBA TBA

International series and specials[]

Name Network(s) Filming location Participating countries
International Challenge of Champions Syndication CBS Studio Center, Studio City, California, U.S. The Bahamas, Finland, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Netherlands, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States
International Gladiators ITV, Syndication, MTV3, RTR 2, Sat.1, Seven Network, SABC 3 National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, U.K. Australia, Finland, Germany, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States
Gladiators: Battle of the Champions ITV Australia, United Kingdom, United States
Gladiators: The Ashes ITV, Seven Network Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Australia, United Kingdom
Gladiators: Australia vs Russia ITV Australia, Russia
Gladiators: Springbok Challenge ITV, SABC 3 National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England, U.K. (1999–2000)
Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa (2001)
South Africa, United Kingdom

Spin-offs[]

Country/Region Name Network Presenter(s)
United Kingdom Gladiators: Train 2 Win ITV Sharron Davies, Daley Thompson, various Gladiators on rotation, Margherita Taylor, Kyran Bracken, Lee Sharpe
United States Gladiators 2000 Syndication Ryan Seacrest, Maria Sansone, Valerie Rae Miller
Superstar American Gladiators ABC Pat O'Brien, Kim Alexis Duguay