Appeals Court Pauses Sony Takeover of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy!’ For Now

by

For now, a higher court has halted Sony’s plans to handle the broadcasting of the television gameshows _Jeopardy!_ and _Wheel of Fortune_, which were previously distributed by CBS.

The Three-Judge Panel in California’s Second Appellate District has temporarily halted the Los Angeles judge’s decision from last week, which rejected CBS’s request for a preliminary injunction. This means that CBS can carry on broadcasting their shows for now, as the order is “on hold pending any further instruction from this court.

As a devoted gamer, I’ve always looked forward to Sony’s two iconic TV shows that consistently rank among the most-watched programs on television. Recently, Sony stepped into CBS’ shoes as a distributor, citing a contract breach by the network when they entered into unauthorized licensing agreements. In response, CBS filed for a restraining order to preserve the terms of our deal, which was granted.

However, on Thursday, Judge Kevin Brazile of the Los Angeles Superior Court declined CBS’s request for an injunction to halt Sony’s attempts to take over distribution. CBS promptly filed an appeal, and their appeal was accepted.

The primary issue in this lawsuit involves accusations towards CBS: they are said to have licensed shows at prices lower than the market average, neglected opportunities to increase ad revenue, and as a result, have struggled to meet their obligations under an agreement with Sony due to widespread layoffs that reportedly destroyed teams responsible for show distribution, marketing, and advertising sales.

CBS declined to comment, while Sony didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read More

2025-04-16 23:24