American Ninja Warrior

For the most recently concluded season, see American Ninja Warrior (season 7).

American Ninja Warrior
File:American Ninja Warrior.jpg
Genre	Sports entertainment Sports competition Action
Created by	Ushio Higuchi
Directed by	Patrick McManus
Presented by	Matt Iseman Akbar Gbaja-Biamila Kristine Leahy
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	104
Production
Executive producers	Arthur Smith Kent Weed Brian Richardson Anthony Storm Kristen Stabile
Producers	David Markus Briana Vowels John Gunn Royce Toni J.D. Preuss Matthew Silverberg Max Poris
Camera setup	Multiple-camera
Running time	36–128 minutes
Production companies	A. Smith and Company Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Lake Paradise Entertainment
Original release
Network	G4 (2009–2013); Esquire Network (2014–present) NBC (2012–present)
Release	December 12, 2009 (2009-12-12) – present
Related
Sasuke Ninja Warrior UK

American Ninja Warrior is a sports entertainment competition spin-off of the Japanese television series Sasuke, in which competitors try to complete a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty called "stages". The series began on December 12, 2009, in Los Angeles, with the top 10 competitors moving on to compete at "Mount Midoriyama" in Japan. Beginning with season 4, competitors travel to the Las Vegas strip to compete on a nearly identical "Mount Midoriyama" course.

During season 7, for the first time in American Ninja Warrior history, a competitor achieved "Total Victory". Two competitors completed stage three, and thus, a Man vs. Man face off took place during stage 4 for the title. Both Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten completed the final stage, however, Caldiero had a faster time, resulting in the $1,000,000 grand prize and the official title of "First American Ninja Warrior".

American Ninja Warrior has been renewed for an 8th season, which is set to premiere in summer 2016.

History

American Ninja Warrior succeeded G4's American Ninja Challenge as the qualifying route for Americans to enter Sasuke. Beginning with the fourth season in 2012, regional finalists and wild card competitors competed on a nearly identical Mount Midoriyama course in Las Vegas, Nevada, rather than traveling to Japan to compete on Sasuke.

Hosts and co-hosts

American Ninja Warrior was originally hosted by G4's American television personality Blair Herter and actress and former TV correspondent Alison Haislip. In the second season, American actor, comedian, and television host Matt Iseman joined the show, replacing former host, Blair Herter. Additionally, Jimmy Smith was brought in as a co-host, while Alison Haislip was demoted to sideline reporter. The panel remained the same throughout season 3. For season 4, skier Jonny Moseley was brought in as a new co-host, replacing Jimmy Smith. Also, American journalist, sportscaster, and documentary filmmaker Angela Sun replaced former sideline reporter, Alison Haislip. For season 5, two newcomers were added. Former NFL football player and sports analyst Akbar Gbaja-Biamila replaced season 4 co-host, Jonny Moseley, while ESPN sportscaster and model Jenn Brown replaced Angela Sun as sideline reporter. The season 5 panel remained the same through season 6. For season 7, while CBS Sports reporter Kristine Leahy joined the show as the new sideline reporter and co-host, replacing Jenn Brown.

The current panel consists of Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and Kristine Leahy.

Timeline

Season	Year	Host	Co-Host	Sideline Reporter
1	2009	Blair Herter	Alison Haislip	—†
2	2010	Matt Iseman	Jimmy Smith	Alison Haislip
3	2011
4	2012		Jonny Moseley	Angela Sun
5	2013		Akbar Gbaja-Biamila	Jenn Brown
6	2014
7	2015			Kristine Leahy
8	2016	TBA

^† There was no sideline reporter in season 1.

Selection process

Potential contestants go through a rigorous series of steps before the possibility of becoming the next American Ninja Warrior. Over 3,500 athletes have attempted to conquer Mount Midoriyama and become an American Ninja Warrior since the series began in 2009.

Contestant eligibility

There are many requirements possible contestants have to meet before participating at a regional qualifier. Contestants must be legal residents of the United States of America, and in decent physical shape. There is no upper age-limit, however participants must be at least 21 years old. Applicants must be able to participate in a regional qualifying round, and must be able to possibly participate in the Vegas Finals. Contestants have to fill out a 20-page questionnaire and make a video about themselves. The required length of the video has differed over the years. Past seasons' videos were required to be between 5 and 8 minutes, but was reduced to 2–3 minutes in length for season 7 and 8. Producers select 100 applicants from each region to participate in their regional qualifiers. 20 "walk-ons" that have waited up to weeks are also selected by producers to get a chance on the course as well. Over 3,000 people applied to compete in season 6. The average successful Ninja is about 5’ 8” and 155 pounds.

Format changes from Sasuke

The first and second seasons of American Ninja Warrior had a few notable differences from the Japanese ("Sasuke") version. They are:

• Stage 1: in the American version competitors compete against each other for the 30 fastest times to advance to stage 2, while in Japan competitors are required to complete the course in a designated time limit. Consequently, the American version sets a fixed, predictable number of 30 competitors advancing to stage 2, while in the Japanese version, the number of qualified competitors could technically range from any number between from 0 to 100, making the result highly unpredictable. There's no official limit of competitors for stage 1 stated, whereas in Japan, only 100 competitors can attempt stage 1.
• Stage 2: in the American version, it is an expanded version of stage 1 (a repeat of Stage 1 with a few additional obstacles at the end), while in Japan, Stage 1 and 2 are entirely different. Again, in the American version, competitors are competing against the course and each other, only 15 competitors with the best times advance to stage 3, whereas in Japan competitors are competing against a rigid time limit.
• Stage 3: In stage 3, competitors have to complete 4 different tasks with the lowest combined time (consisting of carrying 10 bricks across a beach while being held back by bungee cords, carrying barrels over logs, hopping through tires, etc.). Only the 10 competitors with the lowest times win a trip and a chance to compete at Mount Midoriyama in Japan. As such, there is no "final" stage in the American version.
• Results: Rather than between 0 and 100 competitors achieving total victory, the top 10 competitors of ANW were sent to compete on Mount Midoriyama in Japan, with the original course restrictions.

City qualifying

City timeline

Qualifying cities timeline

Mount Midoriyama

Mount Midoriyama is the finals course for American Ninja Warrior. It consists of four stages, each containing various obstacles. Competitors must complete all of the 23 obstacles. Should they complete the first three stages, competitors will advance to Stage 4, where competitors attempt to climb the 8-story Mount Midoriyama. In 30 seconds or less, competitors must successfully ascend the 75-foot rope climb.

Stage 1

Stage 1 consists of obstacles that test the competitors' agility and speed. The first stage is timed and only the competitors who complete it within the time limit and without falling into the water will advance to stage 2.

Stage 2

Stage 2 consists of obstacles that test the competitors' strength and speed. Competitors must complete challenges that strain their upper-body strength (such as the Salmon Ladder) without running out of time. Just as in the first stage, only the competitors that finish within the time limit and without falling into the water move on to Stage 3.

Stage 3

Stage 3 consists of obstacles that test the competitors' upper body and grip strength. It is the only stage in Mt. Midoriyama that has no time limit. Like Stage 1 and 2, only the competitors that complete Stage 3 move on.

Stage 4

Stage 4 of Mt. Midoriyama is a 75-foot rope climb that competitors must complete in under 30 seconds.

Series overview and season synopsis

Season 1 (2009)

The first season of American Ninja Warrior was held in Los Angeles, where hundreds of competitors came to challenge themselves against the course and qualify for a shot at making it to Japan to compete in Sasuke 23 later in the year. The special premiered on December 12, 2009, on G4 TV and was hosted by G4's Blair Herter and Alison Haislip.

Notable competitors this season included freerunners Levi Meeuwenberg and Brian Orosco, mixed martial artist Jason "Mayhem" Miller, and Hollywood stuntman Rich King.

Out of the 10 Americans that qualified to compete at Mount Midoriyama in Japan, only Rich King, Levi Meeuwenberg and Brian Orosco successfully completed Stage 1. The majority of the American Ninja Warrior competitors ran out of time or failed the obstacles. Levi Meeuwenberg was the only American competitor to complete Stage 2. The sole American competitor on Stage 3, he fell on the "Shin-Cliffhanger", and his run came to an end.

Season 2 (2010)

Main article: American Ninja Warrior (season 2)

The second season premiered on December 8, 2010 on G4 and concluded on January 2, 2011. It began in Venice Beach, California where 300 competitors took on the course. The 15 semi-finalists moved on to the "Ninja Warrior Boot Camp" in the remote California mountains, where they competed in a series of team challenges. Then the final moved on to compete in the season finale of American Ninja Warrior 2 as a part of Sasuke 26 at Mount Midoriyama in Japan. No competitor made it beyond Stage 3. This season was again hosted by Matt Iseman and Jimmy Smith, with G4's Alison Haislip as a sideline reporter.

Season 3 (2011)

Main article: American Ninja Warrior (season 3)

The third season began airing on July 31, 2011 on G4 and concluded with the finale airing on August 22, 2011.as a two-hour primetime special on NBC. Tryouts took place in May 2011 at Venice Beach, California. After the tryouts, the top 15 competitors competed in Ninja Warrior Boot Camp with the top 10 moving on to Japan for the finals of the competition as a part of Sasuke 27 and a chance at becoming the first American to conquer the course and win a $500,000 endorsement deal with K-Swiss. No competitors made it beyond stage 3.

Season 4 (2012)

Main article: American Ninja Warrior (season 4)

The fourth season of American Ninja Warrior began airing on May 20, 2012 on both G4 and NBC. There were six regional competitions held in three locations: Venice Beach, CA (Southwest and Northwest), Dallas, TX (Midwest and Midsouth), and Miami, FL (Northeast and Southeast) that determined the 100 competitors to participate in the qualifying rounds. The winner of the ANW Season Four competition would receive $500,000 and the coveted "American Ninja Warrior" title. The season finale, held in Las Vegas, NV, was the first time that Mount Midoriyama was held on U.S. soil. Submission videos for American Ninja Warrior Season 4 had been collected since January 25, 2012. The entire format was changed as well - regional qualifiers in different parts of the country were aired and the Mt. Midoriyama course was recreated just off the Las Vegas Strip for the national finals. The regional qualifiers would narrow down its selections down to 30 contestants who finished its qualifying course in the fastest time as well as the contestants who finished the furthest the fastest. Qualifying obstacles would include common Stage 1 obstacles such as the Quintuple steps and the Warped wall, but its contents would change from city to city. The 30 contestants were then cut in half in the regional finals where the course would extend to include common Stage 2 and Stage 3 obstacles such as the Salmon Ladder, Cliffhanger and Body Prop. The 90 contestants who qualified (including wild cards) earned tickets to Las Vegas to challenge Mt. Midoriyama.

This season was again hosted by Matt Iseman, with a new host, skier Jonny Moseley, and newcomer Angela Sun as the sideline reporter.

Season 5 (2013)

Main article: American Ninja Warrior (season 5)

The fifth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on June 30, 2013 on G4 with subsequent shows airing on NBC and G4. Notably, the sideboard advertising along the course listed Esquire Network as the broadcaster as the fifth season was to premiere after G4's transition to Esquire on April 22, 2013. The network switch was eventually delayed to September 23, 2013 and Esquire took over Style Network's channel space instead. Because of this, additional reruns of the season aired on Saturday nights on NBC through the summer, to maintain ratings momentum due to G4's lame duck status, with ANW being their only new program since they wound down all their original programming in January 2013.

Regional competitions were held in Venice Beach, CA; Baltimore, MD; Miami, FL; and Denver, CO. Tryouts for the season began in February 2013, and ended with the last of the regional rounds taking place the following May. The finale was once again held in Las Vegas, NV.

The season is again hosted by Matt Iseman, while two newcomers joined the panel; co-host Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and sideline reporter Jenn Brown.

No one defeated Stage 3, but Brian Arnold fell on the last obstacle, the Flying Bar, making him the farthest-going American on the Mount Midoriyama course since Kane Kosugi reached the final stage on SASUKE 8.

Season 6 (2014)

Main article: American Ninja Warrior (season 6)

The sixth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on May 25, 2014 on NBC with subsequent shows airing on Monday nights at 9:00pm EST and Tuesday nights at 8:00pm EST on Esquire Network. Regional competitions were held Venice Beach, CA, Dallas, TX, St. Louis, MO, Miami, FL and Denver, CO. The season finale was again held in Las Vegas, NV, the permanent home of the U.S. version of Mount Midoriyama. This season was hosted by commentators Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, with Jenn Brown as the sideline reporter. Notable competitors this season included The Biggest Loser personal trainer Kim Lyons, U.S. Olympic gymnasts Jonathan Horton and Terin Humphrey, among others. Female competitor Kacy Catanzaro became the first female to make it up the "Warped Wall" in the Dallas Qualifiers. Later in the Dallas Finals, she became the first woman to complete that finals course in 8 minutes, 59 seconds. Again, no competitor achieved "total victory."

Season 7 (2015)

Main article: American Ninja Warrior (season 7)

The seventh season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on NBC on May 25, 2015. Hosts Matt Iseman & Akbar Gbaja-Biamila returned for their respective sixth and third seasons while newcomer Kristine Leahy joined as sideline reporter, replacing Jenn Brown. In addition, this season's grand prize was increased from $500,000 to $1,000,000. The season concluded on September 14, 2015 with a total victory: Geoff Britten was the first to attempt Stage 4, however, Isaac Caldiero achieved the stage 4 rope climb in a faster time and was awarded the grand prize of $1,000,000 and the title of "First American Ninja Warrior"

Season 8 (2016)

American Ninja Warrior has been renewed for an 8th consecutive season and will premiere in 2016. Executive producer, Kent Weed, has stated that new obstacles will be added, as well as a few changes to the course.

ANW Specials

USA vs Japan (Las Vegas, January 2014)

During the Season 5 finale of American Ninja Warrior, NBC announced that a special USA vs. Japan matchup would take place, the first-ever team competition in American Ninja Warrior's history. The two-hour special premiered on January 13, 2014 at 8pm EST on NBC and matched five Japanese Sasuke All-Stars and New Stars - heroes of the original Ninja Warrior - against five American stars representing American Ninja Warrior at the American reconstruction of the Mount Midoriyama course in Las Vegas. At stake was the United States vs. Japan championship; also branded as the first world championship for Sasuke/American Ninja Warrior, and a trophy to match. The special featured American Ninja Warrior's regular broadcasting crew: analysts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila along with sideline reporter Jenn Brown.

The teams faced off on each stage in turn, with each stage hosting its own round of five one-on-one matches and no competitor allowed to run the same stage twice. The first national team to win three matches out of five earned the point(s) for that stage. Stage One was worth one point, while Stage Two was worth two points and Stage Three was worth three. In the event of a 3-3 tie after the first three stages, the tiebreaker would be a one-off showdown where each country would pick one team member for a race to the top of the Final Stage.

The winners of the special were the Americans, winning 6-0 over Japan.

Rosters

United States	Japan
Brent Steffensen First American to complete Ultimate Cliffhanger Paul Kasemir ("Mr. Consistency") 4-time Midoriyama veteran James McGrath ("The Beast") 3-time Midoriyama veteran Travis Rosen ("The Tennessee Trader") 3-time Midoriyama veteran Brian Arnold Top finisher at ANW 5 (Flying Bar)	Shingo Yamamoto ("The Godfather") All-Star, veteran of every Sasuke season Yuuji Urushihara ("The Grand Champion") New Star, two total victories in Sasuke Ryo Matachi ("The Superfan") New Star, reached Final Stage once Hitoshi Kanno ("The Muscle") New Star, reached Final Stage once Kazuma Asa ("The Speed Demon") New Star, Stage 1 world record holder (at the time.)

USA vs. The World (Las Vegas, September 2014)

During the Season 6 finale, NBC announced that another special entitled USA vs. The World matchup would take place in Las Vegas under a new format. On September 15, Team USA competed against a returning Team Japan, and a new team, Team Europe. This was the "Second Annual International Competition" that pitted top competitors from the United States 'American Ninja Warrior', Japan Ninja Warrior (Sasuke),and also European All Stars. . The three-hour special aired on September 15, 2014 on NBC with an encore to air September 16, 2014 on Esquire. The special once again was hosted by hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila as well as sideline reporter Jenn Brown.

The winners of the special were the Europeans, winning over America and Japan.

Rosters

Team rosters were revealed late summer 2014.

Team USA	Team Japan	Team Europe
Brian Arnold - 36, Brighton, CO - American athlete who has gone the furthest on the Las Vegas Mt. Midoriyama course.* Elet Hall ("The Natural") - 24, Cavetown, MD - one of only two men to make it to Stage 3 this season. Paul Kasemir ("Mr. Consistency") - 28, Longmont, CO - the M.V.P. of the team that defeated the Japanese last year. Joe Moravsky ("The Weatherman") - 25, Sherman, CT - went further than anyone else this past season. Travis Rosen (The Tennessee Trader") - 40, Franklin, TN - A part of Team USA last year and captain of this year's all-star group.	Hitoshi Kanno ("The Muscle") - 29, Kashiwa, Japan Reached Sasuke Final Stage, ten-time Sasuke veteran Kazuma Asa ("The Speed Demon") - 32, Amagasaki, Japan - Stage 1 world record holder Ryo Matachi - 25, Kawasaki, Japan - Reached Sasuke Final Stage Yusuke Morimoto ("The SASUKE Kid") - 22, Tosa, Japan - Sasuke rising star, competing seven times, first competing at age 15 Shingo Yamamoto ("The Godfather"), - 40, Tokyo, Japan - Captain of Team Japan and only athlete to compete in all 30 seasons of Sasuke	Tim Shieff ("Livewire") - 26, London, England - Captain of Team Europe, world champion professional free runner, ANW veteran, competing on three seasons. Sean McColl - 27, Chambery, France - Canadian professional World Champion rock climber and current overall climbing champion Stefano Ghisolfi - 21, Turin, Italy - Professional World Cup rock climber, number one ranked Italian climber Miska Sutela - 23, Oulu, Finland - Ninja Warrior superfan, has trained all over the world, including Japan, trained with the Sasuke All-Stars. Built 35 NW obstacles in his parent's backyard to train on. Vadym Kuvakin - 29, Kherson, Ukraine - Former Olympic gymnast, current member of the Cirque du Soleil cast for "La Reve" in Las Vegas

Highlights

Joe Moravsky beat Brent Steffenson's record (from ANW4) for the fastest time in Stage 1, beating Steffenson's time of 1:14.53 with a time of 1:12.72. However, Tim Shieff beat Moravsky's time in a subsequent heat by finishing in 1:02.70 - the fastest time ever on Stage 1 in ANW history.

Travis Rosen achieved the fastest time by an American on Stage 2 with 1:48.00, but Sean McColl finished with a time of 1:46.51, the fastest of the season. All three Americans (Travis Rosen, Elet Hall, and Brian Arnold) completed Stage 2, with Sean McColl also completing it for Team Europe.

Yusuke Morimoto made ANW history by becoming the first athlete to ever finish Stage 3 with a time of 5:38.91. Stefano Ghisolfi also completed Stage 3 in the same heat, beating Morimoto's time finishing in 4:46.89. Ryo Matachi followed by becoming the third athlete to complete Stage 3 with a time of 5:04.67. In the last run of Stage 3, Brian Arnold became the second American athlete to complete the stage (after Kane Kosugi did it in Sasuke 8) with a time of 4:39.90, the fastest time of the four finishers. Arnold's finish moved the USA into a tie with Team Europe, forcing a deciding tiebreak on Stage 4.

For the first time in ANW history, the athletes competed on Stage 4. Travis Rosen was selected as the first competitor on ANW to attempt the final stage and he made it all the way up Mt. Midoriyama's 90-foot tower with a 77-foot rope with a time of 0:35.77. However, Sean McColl beat Rosen's time by 3/10th of a second (0:00.31), winning the competition for Team Europe as they became the World Champions of ANW. Rosen missed on his first attempt at hitting the buzzer at the end of the rope climb.

USA vs. The World II (Las Vegas, January 2016)

Following the season 7 finale, NBC announced that another USA vs. The World matchup would again take place in Las Vegas. It will be the second such worldwide special to unite ANW alumni, Sasuke all-stars, and European competitors. The three-hour special will air on January 31, 2016, on NBC. It is to be hosted by the current American Ninja Warrior hosts, Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and co-host Kristine Leahy.

The winners of the special were the Americans, winning over Europe and Japan.

Rosters

Team rosters were revealed in December, 2015.

Team USA	Team Japan	Team Europe
Isaac Caldiero - 33, Las Vegas, NV - American athlete who won the $1 million prize for conquering Mt. Midoriyama. Kevin Bull ("The Bull") - 31, Scotts Valley, CA - Famous for his inverted dismount on Cannonball Alley in season 6. Joe Moravsky ("Weather Man") - 26, Sherman, CT - Completed every stage he's participated in except stage 3. Selected as the alternate. Geoff Britten* ("Popeye") - 37, First American ever to defeat Mt. Midoriyama and the first American Ninja Warrior. Drew Drechsel - 26, Fairfield, CT - Only competitor in the competition to have made it to the third stage on both Sasuke and American Ninja Warrior. Ian Dory - Rock climber who made it to the Flying Bar in season 7.	Kenji Takahashi ("Kong") - 39, Kawagoe, Japan - Competitor who has only failed the Second Stage once in 9 tries. Has made it to the Final Stage. Masashi Hioki - 35, Chiba City, Japan - Has made it to the Third Stage twice. Ryo Matachi - 26, Tokyo, Japan - Only competitor to be featured in all USA vs. The World competitions. Reached the Fourth Stage Twice. Third competitor to complete the Third stage on American soil. Yusuke Morimoto - 23, Tosa, Japan - Returning from the previous USA vs. The World special. First competitor to complete the Third Stage on American soil. Reached Total Victory in Sasuke 31. Tomohiro Kawaguchi ("Tomo") - 33, Tokyo, Japan - Has made it to the Final Stage once.	Tim Shieff ("Livewire") - 27, London, England - Returning from last year's USA vs. The World special. Sean McColl - 28, Chambery, France - Returning from last year's USA vs. The World special. Stefano Ghisolfi - 22, Turin, Italy - Returning from last year's USA vs. The World special. Tim Champion - 20, Exeter, England - Made it to Stage 2 in Ninja Warrior UK Alexander Mars - 28, Stockholm, Sweden - Winner of Swedish Ninja Warrior

Note: *Britten was unable to compete due to flu-like syptoms with a fever of 103 and was replaced by alternate Joe Moravsky who was standing by.

Highlights

On Stage 1, Drew Drechsel gets the fastest time of the season with a time of 1:18.61, beating Tim Shieff's time of 1:25.33.

On Stage 2, Sean McColl edged out both Drew Drechsel's time of 1:34.46, and Joe Moravsky's time of 1:23.69, beating them with a speedy time of 1:19.86, the fastest of the ANW season.

On Stage 3, in the last heat, Yusuke Morimoto was the only member of Team Japan to finish this stage with a time of 6:29.38. However, Sean McColl got a faster time with 5:42.25, putting Team Europe in the lead. Isaac Caldiero was the last to compete and needed the 3-point win in order to put Team USA on top. Caldiero brought his team to victory with an impressive time of 4:28.84, the fastest of the season.

Final Score: USA: 10, Europe: 8, Japan: 0

Team Ninja Warrior

American Ninja Warrior
Presented by	Matt Iseman Akbar Gbaja-Biamila Alex Curry
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Arthur Smith Kent Weed
Production location	Long Beach, CA
Camera setup	Multiple-camera
Production company	A. Smith & Company
Original release
Network	Esquire Network

On October 9, 2015, Esquire Network announced the first ever spin-off of American Ninja Warrior: Team Ninja Warrior, which will feature 24 3-person teams. The teams will include "some of the greatest ninja competitors from past seasons of American Ninja Warrior." The teams will compete against each other head-to-head - including running the course simultaneously, creating a live "duel" dynamic not yet used in the Sasuke franchise. The two teams with the fastest times will advance to the finale where one group will be crowned Team Ninja Warrior champions and receive a cash prize.

The series was taped from October 21–23, 2015 in Long Beach, CA. The series premiere is set to air on January 19, 2016, with a total of eight, hour-long episodes, exclusively on Esquire Network. The spin-off will be hosted by current Ninja Warrior hosts, Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, as well as actor and journalist, Alex Curry.

Obstacles that have been confirmed and appeared thus far include the "Sonic Rope", "Flying Shelf Grab", "Jump Hang", as well as the "Warped Wall" and "Salmon Ladder". 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 playing 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.

Once the contestant reaches the Dancing Stones, a contestant who fails any of the the next obstacles (which alternates) or the Warped Wall (three-attempt rule in play) automatically loses. In case both players do not reach the finish in the heat, 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 additional obstacles are the Salmon Ladder, Tilting Ladder, and a shorter variant of the Sasuke 5-17 and 29-31 final stage—a 30-foot spider climb leading to a 10-foot rope climb, owing to the relay finish nature of the competition—are added.

The order of obstacles is as follows:

• Sonic Swing
• Log Grip
• Swing Jump

In the relay final, the first exchange is made at this point.

• Dancing Stones
• Alternating Obstacles
  • Pole Grasper
  • Bungee Road
  • Floating Steps
  • Flying Shelf Grab
  • Doorknob Arch
  • Modified Ring Toss
  • Spin Cycle
• Warped Wall

The heats end after this event. In the relay, a second exchange is made at this point with three new obstacles:

• Salmon Ladder
• Tilting Ladder
• Tower Climb (30 foot Spider Climb and 10 foot Rope Climb)

Teams consist of two men and one woman, with the participants including Geoff Britten, Brent Steffensen, Kacy Catanzaro, Flip Rodriguez, Brian Arnold, Joe Moravsky, Jessie Graff, Kevin Bull and Lance Pekus. As of 21 December 2015, all 24 teams have been announced. The teams are as follows:

Team name	Team captain	Member 2	Member 3	Results
TNT	Travis Rosen	Adam Arnold	Joyce Shahboz	Top 2
Expendabulls	Kevin Bull	Alan Connealy	Luci Romberg	Advanced to Finals
The Lab Rats	Brian Wilczewski	Chris Wilczewski	Michelle Warnky	Advanced to Finals
Party Time	Brian Arnold	Jake Murray	Jennifer Tavernier	Advanced to Finals
Storm Team	Joe Moravsky	Rob Moravsky	Marybeth Wang	Wild Card
Stratisfaction	Ryan Stratis	Mike Bernardo	Grace Jones	Top 4
Midoryama	Ian Dory	Dan Yager	Meagan Martin	Top 8
Ronin	Flip Rodriguez	JJ Woods	Tiana Webberly	Top 8
The Real Life Beasts	Drew Dreschel	James McGrath	Erica Cook	Eliminated - Qualifying 6
The InvincAbels	Abel Gonzalez	Nathan Jasso	Jeri D-Aurelio	Eliminated - Qualifying 6
The Rahn-Aways	Jamie Rahn	Adam Grossman	Courtney Venuti	Eliminated - Qualifying 6
Ninja Brittens	Geoff Britten	Dustin McKinney	Jessica Britten	Eliminated - Qualifying 5
Elet-Trikz	Elet Hall	Dillon Gates	Cassie Craig	Eliminated - Qualifying 5
The Iron Grip	Daniel Gil	Sam Sann	Richelle Hepler	Eliminated - Qualifying 5
Think Tank	Noah Kaufman	Matt Wilder	Asya Grechka	Eliminated - Qualifying 4
Karsonic Boom	Karson Voiles	Brandon Berrett	Beth Higginbotham	Eliminated - Qualifying 4
Wild Bunch	Lance Pekus	Ben Melick	Rose Wetzel	Eliminated - Qualifying 4
Alpha	Brent Steffensen	Evan Dollard	Kacy Catanzaro	Eliminated - Qualifying 3
Tre's Amigoz	Tremayne Dortch	Andy Lowes	Cassandra Dortch	Eliminated - Qualifying 3
Towers of Power	Brandon Mears	Dan Polizzi	Selena Laniel	Eliminated - Qualifying 2
Golden Hearts	Neil Craver	Grant McCartney	Natalie Duran	Eliminated - Qualifying 2
Nor Cal Ninjas	David Campbell	Sean Noble	Rachel Mulvaney	Eliminated - Qualifying 2
The Average Jojo's	Jojo Bynum	James Bogle	Caitlin Shukwit	Eliminated - Qualifying 1
G-Force	Jessie Graff	Nicholas Coolridge	Travis Brewer	Eliminated - Qualifying 1

Best American Ninja Warrior Performances

Rank	Competitor	Stage	Obstacle	Competition
1	Isaac Caldiero	Final	Total Victory (3.86 seconds left)	ANW 7
1	Geoff Britten	Final	Total Victory (0.35 seconds left)	ANW 7
2	Ian Dory	Third	Failed 8th/final obstacle: Flying Bar	ANW 7
2	Brian Arnold	Third	Failed 8th/final obstacle: Flying Bar	ANW 5
3	Brent Steffensen	Third	Failed 6th obstacle: Hang Climb	ANW 4
3	Joe Moravsky	Third	Failed 6th obstacle: Hang Climb	ANW 6
3	Drew Dreschel	Third	Failed 6th obstacle: Hang Climb	ANW 7

Reception

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	ref
2015	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Reality Show	American Ninja Warrior	Nominated
2016	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Competition TV Show	American Ninja Warrior	Nominated

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Season	Time slot (ET)	Episodes	Premiered		Ended		TV season	Season averages
			Date	Premiere viewers (millions)	Date	Finale viewers (millions)		Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
1		8	December 12, 2009		December 19, 2009		2009–10
2		10	December 8, 2010		December 23, 2010		2010–11
3		10	July 31, 2011		August 22, 2011		2011
4	Monday 9:00 pm	9	May 20, 2012	6.20	July 23, 2012	4.87	2012	5.11	1.9
5	Monday 8:00 pm	12	July 1, 2013	3.07	September 17, 2013	4.04	2013	4.96	1.6
6	Monday 9:00 pm	14	May 26, 2014	4.65	September 15, 2014	5.21	2014	5.33	1.8
7	Monday 8:00 pm	15	May 25, 2015	5.87	September 14, 2015	6.17	2015	6.54	1.9

See also

• American Ninja Challenge
• Sasuke
• Spartan Race

External links

• NBC Page
• Esquire Network Page
• G4 Page