In Season 1, the four male contenders and the four female contenders who won their respective preliminary matches with the fastest Eliminator times advanced to the semifinals; the winners of the two semifinals matches competed in the finals.

The cash prize and car remained the same in Season 2, but there was no explicit mention of the contenders becoming Gladiators.

Although some analysts believe that the show was revived in response to talks of an upcoming WGA strike, which was ongoing at the time of American Gladiators' premier, evidence of this is inconclusive.

[12][13] Rights holder MGM was developing an American Gladiators revival, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on as executive producers, as of August 2018.

[15] In August 2008, season 1 of American Gladiators began airing on WKAQ-TV, Telemundo Puerto Rico every Sunday at 8 pm.

In September 2008, the first season began airing on Sky1 in the United Kingdom on Tuesday afternoons.

In Australia, American Gladiators started airing on Seven's new free-to-air digital channel 7Two on Wednesdays at 7:30pm from November 4, 2009.

One of the female gladiators on this series, Jennifer Widerstrom, known by the stage name "Phoenix" on this show, later became a fitness trainer on The Biggest Loser, replacing Jillian Michaels.

Hitting the target or pushing the button at the end of the course triggers pyrotechnics at the Gladiator's platform, and the Gladiator is rapidly pulled off the platform by a pulley and harness fly system across the arena and into the water tank.

Contenders no longer have to fish in the sand for an arrow or load any of the weapons with the exception of the slingshot.

The competitors begin on ramps, as in Seasons 3 and 4 of the original series, and each contender must roll his/her sphere directly over the sensors in the middle of the pod to release a blast of steam and score 2 points.

In the Season 2 semifinals, the rules reverted to ones similar to those used in the original US version: contenders earn 10 points for completing the Gauntlet in under 20 seconds, or 5 for doing so within the 30-second limit.

In Hang Tough (Season 1) the course is shorter, situated over a pool of water, and has much smaller platforms.

In Hit & Run (Season 1), which was first introduced in the UK version, the contender traverses a 50-foot suspension bridge hanging above the water tank.

Contenders receive two points for each successful trip across the bridge within the 60-second time limit, and must press a button on the platform to register the points (a difference from the UK version, which required contenders to touch the rail at the back of the platform).

In addition, the playing field is lined with padded walls, which means there is no "out of bounds," and the scoring bins have much wider openings, making tossed balls more effective than the original.

Contenders earn 5 points for getting their feet atop the Pyramid tier marked with a white dotted line.

Pressing the button at the top within the 60-second time limit is worth 5 more points, for a total of 10, and immediately ends the event.

In Rocketball (Season 2), which is a new event, two Gladiators and two contenders begin the match at the corners of the arena.

When each competitor presses a button, they are launched via their harnesses into the air toward two goals at the center of the arena.

As in Hit and Run, the Gladiators try to end the event early by knocking the contender into the water.

The two contenders race around one lap suspended upside down from a figure 8 track hanging from the ceiling of the arena.

[22] In the new version, each contender is connected by a bungee cord to a Gladiator, who stands on a platform behind a 50-foot-long lane.

The contenders race toward red buttons at the end of their lanes while the Gladiators resist by pulling back on their bungee lines.

[23] In Vertigo (Season 2), which was first introduced in the UK version, the contender and Gladiator race across a course of seven flexible poles with handholds and platforms.

Unlike previous editions, however, contenders earn 5 points if they are still on the Wall when the 60-second time limit expires.