By India McCarty
The long-running dispute between CBS and Sony over distribution of game shows like JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE is finally at an end, with Sony coming out on top.
“Sony can begin distributing the shows and does not need to deliver episodes to CBS,” the ruling from Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile reads.
Sony produces both game shows and filed a complaint last year, claiming CBS entered into unauthorized licensing agreements that were at below-market rates and did not maximize ad revenue.
One of the main components of the case were CBS’ practices of bundling JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE with other CBS offerings for licensing and advertising purposes, which could ultimately undercut profits for the game shows.
Dale Woods, an affiliate station manager, testified that “negotiations with CBS for the Sony shows often included, at CBS’ insistence, conversations about other CBS programming” and that it was “well understood that CBS would only license WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! if we agreed” for the shows to be packaged with other CBS programming, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Woods added, “We felt like we had to take the other CBS programming given the importance of WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! I cannot stress enough the power of the Sony shows to a local station. Having the rights to broadcast these shows can quite literally make or break you.”
There were also complaints about “the absence of an open bidding process for the shows,” THR reported, which “foreclosed the ability of new stations to generate higher bids” and allowed stations to continuously air the programs at the same price.
Sony will take over distribution of syndicated game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from CBS, a court has ruled. https://t.co/S9TFd4UvCl
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 11, 2025
Despite Judge Brazile’s ruling, CBS quickly announced plans to appeal “immediately.”
“This is only a preliminary ruling based on partial evidence, not the outcome of the full case. We’re confident once all the evidence is heard at trial, we will prevail on the merits,” a spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures told Deadline. “In today’s ruling, the court itself recognized the balance of harm tips in CBS’s favor, so we will ask the appellate court for a stay pending our appeal.”
Sony Pictures Television also released a statement, saying they are “gratified by the court’s ruling today” and “look forward to distributing our shows, JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE, to the 200+ stations that license and count on this programming in the U.S. and around the world, and the millions of fans who tune in to these beloved game shows every week.”
CBS is planning to fight the court’s decision on distribution rights for JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE, but for now, it looks like Sony is the winner in this particular TV war.
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