Do you enjoy watching TV shows? Are you a fan of betting? If you’ve answered these two questions with a big YES, then you should know that almost all online bookmakers have special sections that allow people to bet on TV shows. In other words, you can unite your passions and, with a little bit of luck, make a profit out of them.

From reality TV shows and talent competitions to fictional TV shows, punters can choose from a wide array of special events to place bets on. But, before you start doing that, you should take a few things into consideration and that’s why we have written this guide.

• Check the facts about the most popular TV shows
• Learn more about the best betting options you have
• Discover the betting potential of every big and popular TV show

Some of the TV shows that we have included in our list are popular all over the world, while a few of them are popular in specific regions. Regardless of the event, you have chosen, make sure that you are well-informed before placing a bet. One of the things that can help you with that is reading our list of 11 biggest and best TV shows to bet on.

1. Eurovision

Year: 1956
Genre: Song contest
Number of participants: (representatives of almost all European countries)
Country/Region: Europe
Last winner: Duncan Laurence, Netherlands

Back in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest had just a few participants mostly from the Western European countries. Today, this annual international song competition has participants from almost every European country. The format of the competition is changing all the time and if you are planning on betting on this TV show, you have to be careful.

Although it’s often labeled as controversial, this competition is watched by millions of viewers around the globe every year. Some of the countries are qualified to the final stage directly while others have to pass the semi-finals. In any case, this is an interesting competition and TV show that brings excitement.

One of the favorite things of those who are fans of Eurovision is guessing the winner. There are a lot of rumors regarding the winner and their chances to win the main prize. But, you should always remember that these are just rumors.

If you are interested in betting on Eurovision, then you should know the history of this festival and even the basic history of the countries that are participating in this competition. For instance, the Scandinavian countries and Balkan countries tend to give points to each other.

Read the news and speculations, but don’t rely completely on them. As for the betting markets, the most popular bet here is the outright winner bet. The truth is that there are not many surprises when it comes to the winners because one of the three favorites almost always wins the competition.

So, it might be a good idea to bet on a country/participant to end in the first three positions in case they are considered a favorite.

• Eurovision is the most popular annual song competition
• It includes around 50 participants
• Betting on the favorites is a good strategy

2. Strictly Come Dancing

Year: 2004
Genre: Dance contest
Number of participants: 15 couples
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Stacey Dooley/Kevin Clifton

If you are into dance shows, then you have probably heard about Strictly Come Dancing. Also known as just Strictly, this dance contest that comes from the UK pairs celebrities and professional dancers. These celebrities are guided by the dancers and they are all trying to defeat the rest of the couple by showcasing their talent and skills in Latin or ballroom dance.

There’s a panel of judges that decides who will win the show after a few rounds. Strictly Come Dancing is a very popular show that has been exported to dozens of other countries around the globe. This BBC dance contest is also popular among bettors.

Online bookies have proven to be very inventive when it comes to betting markets and options. Obviously, you can bet on the outright winner, but it’s better to wait for a few weeks to see how the celebrities are doing before opting for any of the couples.

Another good option is to watch the show and bet on the next contestant that won’t advance to the next phase. Finally, betting on the gender of the winner, top female, and top male are other good bets.

• A UK TV show that has become popular around the globe
• A competition that includes couples that consist of celebrities and professional dancers
• There is a panel of judges that makes decisions

3. Dancing On Ice

Year: 2006
Genre: Figure skating contest
Number of participants: 12 couples
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: James Jordan, Alexandra Schauman

It turns out that people are fans of figure skating too especially if there are celebrities involved. Dancing On Ice is a figure skating contest that follows the format of other popular TV shows where celebrities and professionals team-up.

This is another TV show that comes from the United Kingdom, but it’s slowly becoming popular around the world. This show has started in 2006 and it was abandoned in 2014. However, the show was revived in 2018. This time there are 12 couples that are trying to impress the panel of judges and the public with their coordinated moves on the ice.

They are performing live ice dances each week. There’s an elimination system that ensures that only the best couples make progress to the next stages. To make a good bet on this TV show, you must get familiar with the skaters and the celebrities too.

Some of the skaters have been participating in this show for years. It’s interesting that many of the celebrities have experience linked to ice skating like last year’s celebrity winner James Jordan who is also a ballroom dancer.

Check their background and pick the right couple or outright winner to bet on. Alternative bets like betting on who will leave the show next is also a good idea, but you have to follow Dancing On Ice closely if you want to place smart bets.

• A popular figure skating contest
• Couples that consist of celebrities and professional skaters
• A UK TV show that gives players chances to bet on different things

4. The X Factor

Year: 2004
Genre: Music contest
Number of participants: Hundreds of people (up to 16 people in the finals)
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Dalton Harris

Fans of reality TV are probably familiar with The X Factor. This British TV show has been present in the homes of thousands of people for over 15 years now. It was created by Simon Cowell, a unique businessman, record executive, and TV personality.

In its essence, this is a music competition where a panel of judges is trying to find the best new singing talent. Literally, any individual can become part of this show. There are qualifications and a few rounds before the judges and the audience decide who will enter the finals.

Needless to say, betting on TV shows like The X Factor is equally interesting as watching the participants and enjoying their talents. If you are a genuine fan of The X Factor you will have an advantage over other punters.

However, even in situations like this, you should always follow the trends of social media like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram in order to find out who has the best reviews and most positive coverage. Surely, the judges play an important role, but it’s the audience that has the final say.

• A TV show that has been present over 15 years
• This is basically a music competition focused on new talents
• Follow social media trends before placing a bet

5. The Bachelor

Year: 2003
Genre: Reality TV
Number of participants: Around 25
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Alicia Oates

After Big Brother, The Bachelor is probably the second most popular and most famous reality TV show in the UK. It was established in 2003 and ever since then, it has managed to create a huge base of fans. It’s worth mentioning that The Bachelor is actually an American TV show that started in 2002, but when it comes to betting, punters prefer the UK version.

In any case, this dating and relationship reality TV series is quite interesting. The show includes a single bachelor and around 25 (depends on the season) ladies. One of them could become the wife of the bachelor. This is an elimination-style series where the bachelor becomes closer with the finalists until the bachelor makes a final decision.

It’s very difficult to predict the outcome of a show like The Bachelor because it’s the single participant in the show that plays the main role. But, it seems that there’s an interesting trend that we have seen in shows like this. Namely, it’s usually the underdog in the finals that beats the favorite.

So, it might be a smart move to wait until the end when there are just a couple or three participants left and place a bet on the underdog.

• A very popular reality TV show in the UK
• It involves a bachelor and around 25, ladies
• Betting on the underdog is a smart idea

6. Big Brother

Year: 2000
Genre: Reality TV
Number of participants: Around 20
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Cameron Cole

For many people, Big Brother is a synonym for Reality TV shows. What’s interesting is that this reality TV franchise was created by a Dutch TV, but it now has local versions in the UK, the USA and in many other countries.

As you are probably aware, the UK version comes with around 20 participants known as housemates. They are living under the same roof and they are monitored by the public thanks to many cameras placed in the house.

These participants usually stay in the house for a few weeks and every week, some of the housemates are eliminated by a public vote. The public takes the behavior of each participant into account before deciding who has to go.

Keep in mind that Big Brother UK was unavailable in 2019, but the official broadcaster has confirmed that it will be available again in 2020 (probably for the last time). So, if you are planning on betting on this reality TV series, you might have only one chance to do this (at least when it comes to the UK version of the show).

As for the type of bet, you will have plenty of options in some of the most popular online bookmakers. From next eviction to winning team and top male/female housemate, you can bet on anything you want. Remember to follow blogs focused on these shows and celebrities if you want to learn more about the chances that each participant has.

• One of the most famous reality television series
• This show might end in 2020 at least in the UK
• Many different betting options to choose from

7. The Voice UK

Year: 2012
Genre: Talent show
Number of participants: Hundreds (10+ in the finals)
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Molly Hocking

The number of talent shows is growing which is a good thing because the audience is obviously having fun and punters have more chances to put bets on interesting events. The Voice UK is the UK version of The Voice franchise. It started in 2012 and it seems that it’s been quite popular not just in the UK, but around the world.

The fact that the winner gets 100.000 GBP makes the contest even more exciting. Before the finals, there are public auditions that are fun too, but the best part is the finals. Just like in the case of other talent shows, it can be very difficult to predict the winner.

Sometimes, the outcome depends on the choice made by the participant about the song they are singing. Of course, the overall presentation of the song plays an important role too. In any case, you should definitely look at the reaction of the audience and judges before placing a bet on some of the participants.

• A very popular talent show in the UK
• Hundreds of people are trying to reach the finals every year
• Check the reaction of the audience and judges to make a better decision when betting

8. Emmy Award

Year: 1949
Genre: TV awards
Number of participants: a few different categories
Country/Region: USA
Last winner: –

If you are not a big fan of talent shows or reality TV, but you still want to bet on TV show-related events, it might be a good idea to consider wagering on Emmy (Emmy Award). This is the Oscars of television and given that television shows are becoming more and more popular these days, it’s quite obvious that a competition like this is gaining popularity too.

Emmy Award has been present for over 70 years now. If you are a fan of television and television shows, then you should give this event a try as a punter. As previously mentioned, there are different categories that you can bet on – comedy series, drama series, etc.

When you want to choose a winner you have to take a few things into account. First of all, check the rating of the show (IMDb can be quite helpful in situations like this). Next, you have to follow the predictions of popular movie/TV blogs. Finally, you should not forget that this is an American event, so you have to put yourself in the shoes of an American viewer to understand which option has the best odds of winning.

• The Emmys are similar to the Oscars
• This is an American event focused on American shows
• Many betting options with good odds

9. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award

Year: 1954
Genre: Awards ceremony
Number of participants: 10
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Ben Stokes

BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that includes a few different categories. Yet, the most interesting award is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award which is given to the most successful athlete of the previous year. So, it could be an athlete that participates in any sport.

The winner is always a British athlete or someone who has been working in the UK most of the time. Remember that the popularity of the sport doesn’t play any role, but the fact is that most of the winners over the years have been part of popular sports. For instance, it was Ben Stokes, the popular cricketer that won the award in 2019.

As for betting on BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, we should point out that this is a difficult market. In many cases, there are clear favorites and for some punters, this might be good while for others it’s not.

Namely, in this case, the odds are usually very low and even with odds like that, someone else can take the award. So, many experienced punters are placing bets on the front-runner or selecting an athlete that can reach the top three.

• A very old award ceremony focused on sports
• The best UK athletes are competing for the main award
• Betting on the second place might be a good idea

10. WWE SmackDown

Year: 1999
Genre: Professional wrestling
Number of participants: –
Country/Region: USA
Last winner: Bray Wyatt (The Fiend)

Some say that this show is rigged while others are confident that the fights are real. It doesn’t really matter what you believe in, WWE SmackDown is another TV show that you can bet on almost every Friday all year round. This professional wrestling TV program started back in 1999.

Even though this competition is focused on American participants, the fights are staged in arenas around the globe including cities in Iraq, the UK, Canada, and Japan. With dozens of events every year, this is definitely an interesting event that unites sports and entertainment on TV.

When betting, you don’t have to take the player’s skills or current form into account because literally, anyone can win in this competition. There are scripts that participants are following and the winner is known weeks ahead.

So, to ensure that you are making the right decision, you have to follow the story and try to understand where the scriptwriters are going with the current story.

• An entertainment and sports show
• Players are following a predetermined script
• You can bet on different things, but predicting the outright winner and single-match winner are the most common bets

11. Britain’s Got Talent

Year: 2007
Genre: Talent show competition
Number of participants: Hundreds (around 10 in the finals)
Country/Region: The UK
Last winner: Colin Thackery

Many of today’s talent contests broadcasted live on TV are focused on singing or dancing. What makes Britain’s Got Talent different is that it accepts performers that have a wide range of talents. So, you don’t have to be good at singing or dancing – you can be a good magician, juggler or something else that makes you stand out from the crowd.

This show has been on the air since 2007, one year after the tremendous success of America’s Got Talent. Almost every person in the UK can perform on this show, but in the end, there are around 10 finalists.

Punters are free to choose the type of bet they want to place on this event – who will proceed, who will be eliminated, who will win the show etc. One of the most popular types of bet on Britain’s Got Talent is betting on the contestant who will make it to the next phase.

You have to watch all performers, the reaction of the public (use social media like Twitter for example) and the reaction of the judges to understand who has the best chances to make progress. After all, that’s how the bookies create their odds too. Remember that you can also place bets on other things like who will be the judge that will press the buzzer first or who will end up in the finals.

• A very interesting UK talent show
• Hundreds of participants every year (around ten in the finals)
• A wide array of betting options