Sony, CBS settle ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ ‘Jeopardy!’ dispute

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Sony Pictures Television and CBS have reached an agreement, ending their legal dispute over who distributes the game shows “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”

Sony and CBS announced Friday that they’ve resolved their dispute peacefully. They expressed excitement about continuing to make their popular shows available to viewers globally.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

CBS will keep distributing the show in the U.S. for another two and a half years, until the end of the 2027-2028 TV season. After that point, Sony will take over distribution rights within the country.

Sony owns both shows and produces them on its Culver City lot.

Despite the rise of streaming, these shows continue to be popular and attract a large audience, remaining among the highest-rated programs on TV.

The conflict started over a year ago when Sony ended its agreement to distribute content with CBS. Sony then sued CBS, alleging that CBS had illegally licensed shows and then profited from it through self-paid commissions. Sony also argued that CBS, owned by Paramount, had reduced budgets, which hindered the network’s ability to properly support the two shows in question.

Hollywood Inc.

CBS can keep providing episodes of its popular game shows to TV stations while Paramount Global challenges a previous court decision.

Earlier this year, Sony attempted to cut CBS out of the picture, escalating the dispute.

I’ve always understood that CBS believed they had the legal right to show these programs on TV stations nationwide. They’ve previously said that Sony’s complaints really stem from them being unhappy with the agreement both companies made a long time ago.

For nearly two decades, CBS has earned as much as 40% of the fees paid by television stations to broadcast its shows. This began when CBS bought King World Productions, a program distribution company, in 1999 and took over handling those arrangements.

In the early 1980s, King World made agreements with Merv Griffin Enterprises, the original creator of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” to handle distribution of the shows. Even after Sony bought Merv Griffin’s company, those initial deals continued to be valid.

So, I just heard that CBS is handling all the ad sales for its shows all the way through the 2029-2030 TV season. Basically, they’re keeping everything in-house for a while, which I guess makes sense for them.

After the current TV season ends in mid-2026, Sony will be fully responsible for marketing, promoting, and managing partnerships related to the shows. This includes handling opportunities for brands to be featured within the programs, which are a significant source of revenue.

Sony will also gain the rights to distribute the film internationally, starting this December. This is a key part of the agreement for the studio.

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2025-11-08 00:02