Movies

CBS wins a temporary reprieve in ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ ‘Jeopardy’ fight with Sony

BBG News

For now, CBS has been granted a legal pause, enabling them to carry on broadcasting “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy”, as they engage in a fierce dispute with Sony Pictures Television.

Last week’s decision by a lower court judge, which took away CBS’s responsibilities for distributing the famous shows, was temporarily halted on Wednesday when three judges from California’s appellate court issued an order.

In simpler terms, the court decided that Sony wasn’t obligated to supply extra episodes of their shows for CBS to broadcast nationwide on TV stations.

According to the court’s decision, which was officially documented, the ruling has been temporarily halted awaiting another court order. The panel provided Sony with a deadline of April 28 to submit their response.

In the past week, Judge Kevin Brazile at the Los Angeles Superior Court made a decision granting Sony Pictures Television the authority to assume distribution responsibilities for their popular game shows “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” which had previously been managed by CBS.

In August, Sony ended its distribution agreement with CBS and subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract. The lawsuit claimed that CBS, owned by Paramount Global, made unauthorized licensing deals for certain shows, pocketed the commission, and violated the terms of their agreement. Moreover, Sony argued that budget cuts within CBS had negatively impacted the network’s ability to adequately support the two shows in question.

In addition, the lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court claimed that CBS had been licensing their shows at prices lower than the standard market rates and was not fully exploiting advertising revenue opportunities.

Hollywood Inc.

According to Sony, CBS underpriced television programs when licensing them to broadcasting stations, thereby missing out on potential advertising income.

For several years, CBS has been responsible for distributing both “Jeopardy!” and “The Wheel of Fortune,” shows that belong to Sony and are filmed at their Culver City production facility.

CBS stated that Sony’s objections stem from their displeasure with the agreement the parties made long ago, which they are not fond of.

CBS receives approximately 40% of the fees that television stations pay for airing their programs, a role they assumed after acquiring the syndication company King World Productions in 1999.

In the ’80s, King World negotiated distribution rights for both “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” with Merv Griffin Enterprises as the original producers. Later, Sony took over Griffin’s company, yet the initial deals made in the ’80s are still valid.

Over the past few years, as more viewers opt for streaming services instead of traditional TV, two popular daily game shows have managed to maintain their audience and rank among the highest viewed programs on television today.

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2025-04-17 00:01

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