‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy!’ Legal Battle Takes Nasty Turn

The troubles for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are continuing. Back in October, it was reported that Sony had filed a lawsuit with Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing CBS of “self-dealing and failing to maximize in revenues” for the syndications of the two long-running game shows. The studios have been in partnership over Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! for a long time now, with Sony on the production side while CBS oversees distribution. Now, it’s gotten worse.

According to Deadline, Sony Pictures Television’s head of game shows, Suzanne Prete, sent CBS’ Wendy McMahon a letter on Monday telling her that Sony took back all control of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, global distribution included. In retaliation, CBS Media Ventures stated they would seek a temporary restraining order, and as of Thursday, the LA Supreme Court has put a pause on Sony’s takeover until at least Feb. 18.

“We’re pleased the court issued a temporary restraining order against Sony’s unlawful actions,” a CBS Media Ventures spokesperson told Deadline after the hearing. “We will continue to seamlessly distribute Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! our station clients like we have for over 40 years.”

Meanwhile, a rep for Sony said, “Sony Pictures owns, controls, produces, and finances Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. In light of CBS’s continuous failure to live up to its contractual obligations, SPT believes it has lawfully terminated the distribution agreements with CBS for the shows and accordingly assumed all global distribution functions. Today the Court has instructed SPT to temporarily cease taking on the distribution of the shows until the Court can further hear from the parties on this issue in the near future. To be clear, the Court’s order has no bearing on and is not indicative of, the eventual outcome of the ongoing litigation. SPT will continue to fight CBS’s egregious mishandling of these beloved shows and will take all necessary legal actions to protect our rights.”

As of now, it’s unknown what will happen, as things should be picking back up between the studios on Feb. 18. It doesn’t seem like either company is willing to back down, and it’s quite possible that the mess could be getting even uglier in the near future. Both Wheel and Jeopardy! have remained staples in America for decades and CBS and Sony aren’t willing to let them go.