The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $977 million ahead of Friday night's drawing.
No winning ticket matched all six numbers for the $893 million jackpot Tuesday. The numbers drawn were: 24, 46, 49, 62, 66 and the gold ball 7.
The prize money has been building for 29 consecutive drawings since the last winning jackpot Dec. 8.
This is only the sixth time in game history that the jackpot has gone as high as $977 million, according to Mega Millions officials. The five jackpots that topped the current prize were all more than $1 billion.
The current game record of $1.6 billion was set last August.
A sole winner of the jackpot Friday can choose to be paid in a lump sum of about $461 million before taxes or through an annuity for the full amount with annual payments over 30 years.
Meanwhile, the Powerball jackpot has also been growing steadily, reaching an estimated $687 million ahead of Wednesday night's drawing. The last jackpot win in that game was on New Year's Day.
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning the jackpot are roughly 1 in 302.6 million.
