3 days ago
CBS Gains ‘Jeopardy!' & ‘Wheel Of Fortune' Distribution Rights At Least Until Legal Battle With Sony Is Over
UPDATED, 2:35 PM: Sony and CBS spun the wheel one more time this month over who controls Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and the still Shari Redstone-owned company hit the game show jackpot.
Solidifying what a three-judge panel from the Second Appellate District temporarily put in place last month, that same panel has now ruled that CBS will remain the sole distributor of the lucrative Jeopardy! and now Ryan Seacrest hosted Wheel.
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'Pending disposition of this appeal, the trial court's order of April 10, 2025 finding that 'Sony can begin distributing the Shows and need not deliver episodes to CBS' is hereby stayed, including all matters embraced therein or affected thereby by the trial court's order,' ordered Appeal Court Judges Gonzalo Martinez, John Segal and Natalie Stone on Wednesday in a short ruling after reviewing arguments from both sides. You can read the ruling here.
The decision puts the shows in CBS' hands for the entire duration of the court battle between the network and Sony.
CBS had 'no comment' on yesterday's ruling. Sony did not reply to request from Deadline for comment on the order.
The once partnered companies have been in a breach-of-contract dispute since October 31 over CBS' more than 40-year-old distribution contract and claims by Sony Pictures TV of CBS licensing the blockbuster shows at below-market rates and engaging in 'self-dealing.'
PREVIOUSLY, APRIL 16 PM: This is why they call it Jeopardy!
Less than a week after Sony snagged back the distribution rights to the Ken Jennings-hosted game show and Wheel of Fortune, a California appeals court today handed those rights back to CBS, at least for now.
'The superior court's order of April 10, 2025 denying the preliminary injunction and allowing Respondents to begin 'distributing the shows and need not deliver episodes to CBS' is stayed pending further order of this court,' a three-judge panel from the Second Appellate District ordered Wednesday.
With the petition for writ of supersedeas filed by CBS on April 11, Sony now has until April 28 to respond, with the Shari Redstone-owned CBS giving its reply by May 9. All of that means those new deals and platforms that Sony was hoping for the beloved and money-making game shows are in legal purgatory for at least a month.
CBS had no further comment besides its petition and today's order. Sony did not respond to Deadline's request for comment Wednesday.
The once-chummy companies have been in a breach-of-contract dispute since October 31 over CBS' more than 40-year-old distribution contract and claims by Sony Pictures TV of CBS licensing the blockbuster shows at below-market rates and engaging in 'self-dealing.' After a judicial pingpong match, things went sideways for CBS when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile last Thursday favored Sony over CBS Media Ventures' pitch to pause Sony taking over full distribution of Wheel and Jeopardy!
Agreements for the Merv Griffin shows have been place since 1982 and under the respective umbrellas of CBS and Sony since the late 1990s.
Which begs the question: What is hassle?
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