CBS & Sony Settle Jeopardy! & Wheel of Fortune Legal Battle

CBS and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) have settled their legal dispute over Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, with CBS continuing to distribute the two titles in the U.S. through the 2027–28 season, after which SPT will take over.

SPT will take over marketing, promotions and affiliate relations after the 2025-26 season, but CBS Media Ventures will exclusively handle ad sales through 2029-30. International distribution of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will be handed over to SPT as of December 1.

“We have reached an amicable resolution regarding the syndicated distribution of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune,” the companies said in a joint statement. “We look forward to working together to continue bringing these beloved shows to audiences and stations around the world.”

The dispute began in October 2024, when SPT filed a lawsuit claiming that it had terminated CBS’s distribution rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune in August 2024. It alleged that CBS had entered into unauthorized licensing agreements, licensing the shows at below-market rates and failing to maximize advertising revenue.

In February, SPT sent a letter of its intent to take back global distribution of the programs due to these alleged contract violations by CBS. Following that, Paramount Global Content Distribution sought and was granted a restraining order, allowing CBS to retain distribution rights.

In April, a Los Angeles judge granted SPT the rights to take over the distribution of the game shows from CBS. Days later, a California appeals court said CBS could continue distributing the shows.