The long-running television game show Wheel of Fortune has been a staple on CBS for the last 50 years. That run may soon be ending. In a legal dispute that has taken place over the last several months, a court ruled Thursday, April 1,0 that Sony could assume full distribution rights of the iconic game show, as well as another long-standing game show, Jeopardy. CBS is appealing the decision, and the process is expected to be ongoing.
CBS Battles Sony Over Wheel of Fortune Distribution Rights
In October 2024, Sony filed a lawsuit against CBS under the premise that CBS entered into unapproved licensing agreements. Although CBS, owned by Paramount Entertainment, had a deal with Sony for distribution rights, Sony is the entity that officially produces Wheel of Fortune. In the legal filings, Sony alleged that CBS had breached their contract by entering into unauthorized deals that did not maximize financial gain.
In February of 2025, Sony officially took over distribution rights from CBS. CBS quickly responded, requesting a restraining order in the courts that would allow them to maintain distribution while court proceedings took place. A judge granted that motion, and the network was allowed to continue distribution of their two game shows, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.
On Thursday, this restraining order came to an end after a judge ruled on the initial filing. Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile determined that CBS did breach its contract in regards to global distribution of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. He stated that “Sony can begin distributing the shows and does not need to deliver episodes to CBS.”
In response to the ruling, Sony immediately released a statement. “We are gratified by the court’s ruling today, and we 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.”
What the Ruling on Wheel of Fortune Means to CBS
CBS immediately announced they will appeal the decision on Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, which may open the door for them to maintain some rights similar to when they filed the restraining order. CBS Media Ventures told CBS MoneyWatch that “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. In today’s ruling, the court itself recognized the balance of harm tips in CBS’ favor, so we will ask the appellate court for a stay pending our appeal.”
The battle is not yet over for CBS. Should their stay be denied, or they lose the appeal, they would lose all rights to global distribution. That means that anywhere they offer the show, it could be removed in favor of a deal Sony brokers. Paramount Plus streaming service and any channels, including CBS or its affiliates, may no longer air the two game shows either. It would be up to Sony to determine how best to move forward and make deal agreements that it feels is to the best of themselves and Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.
It is unclear exactly what Sony plans to do. If the shows are taken from CBS channels and services entirely, it would be a massive blow to CBS. They rely on the ratings of these two long-standing games, and losing them from their catalog would hurt their overall numbers. The ripple effect that would be caused remains to be seen. As Sony becomes clearer with their plan, the story will be updated accordingly.
