'Wheel of Fortune' Earns an Incredible Amount of Cash for Sony Pictures Television, Report Reveals

Wheel of Fortune reportedly earns an incredible amount of cash for Sony Pictures Television. According to Puck, the annual syndication license fees for Wheel of Fortune reach upwards of $70 million. The outlet notes this is after CBS and King World Productions take their distribution fee of just under 40 percent.

Additionally, Puck reports that multiple sources have stated the right to Wheel of Fortune slot machines will bring in $220 million for Sony TV, through 2034. The outlet adds that the franchise also earns revenue from its ABC primetime series, international broadcasting, streaming rights, as well as home and mobile games. Puck points out that this is especially notable as Frank Biondi made a deal to buy the show, along with Jeopardy! for just $250 million in 1986. Biondi was running Coca-Cola's entertainment division, which included Columbia Pictures, and wound up buying Merv Griffin Enterprises, the entertainer's production company under which he created the game shows, for what many acknowledge is one of the most incredible programming purchase deals in television history.

The report comes as host Pat Sajak has announced his retirement from the show after next season, while co-host Vanna is in salary negotiations to stay on in her role alongside new host Ryan Seacrest. The situation with White has been an interesting one to follow. After Sajak announced his planned retirement, rumors began swirling that White was planning to stay with the show, but that she'd hired a lawyer to negotiate a new pay raise. A promising update came when it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would be the new host, making over after Sajak's final season, which will begin later this year. Seacrest wrote a statement about the news, and at the end he stated, "I can't wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White."

However, Puck's Matthew Belloni soon came forward to report that White and Sony Pictures TV still have not come to an agreement on her salary. Per TV Line, there had been rumblings at Sony TV that executives might be considering "eliminating" White's co-host role when Sajak leaves. While Sony TV did not offer any official comment on the reports, TV Line spoke with an unnamed source who alleges that the rumors are inaccurate and that there "is no plan to eliminate Vanna's role." The insider stated, "Sony is in active discussions to renew Vanna's deal beyond her current contract." The outlet went on to note that White makes roughly five times less than Sajak for her co-host role and that, in regard to the pay discrepancy, she has hired a lawyer to advocate with the studio on her behalf.