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The format hits its stride.
Six cities, a battleship qualifier, and a grand prize that finally matches the show's ambition.
A rhythm worth tracking.
Season seven expands to six qualifying cities — Kansas City, Houston, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and a military-themed stop aboard the USS Iowa in San Pedro join the returning Venice Beach course. Stage one adds the Sonic Curve, Coin Flip, and Triple Swing; stage three gets the Psycho Chainsaw and Area 51. The grand prize doubles to one million dollars, and Kristine Leahy joins the booth as sideline reporter.
The #01 slot.
Slot #01 of 17 in the American Ninja Warrior Editor's Canon. Season seven proves season six's stability wasn't a ceiling. Six qualifying cities — one more than the year before, including a military-themed course aboard the USS Iowa in San Pedro — give the field its widest test yet, and new Stage 1 and Stage 3 obstacles sharpen both ends of the course without disturbing the pacing the format spent six years settling into. Doubling the grand prize to one million dollars raises the stakes without changing what the course demands of a competitor. Nothing here is still finding its footing. This is a settled format doing more with the room it already built, and that's the strongest version of the show yet.