CBS allowed to distribute Sony's 'Wheel of Fortune,' 'Jeopardy' during lawsuit appeal
CBS has notched another small victory in its legal battle with Sony Pictures Television, winning an appellate court ruling that allows the network to continue to distribute 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy' as its court case continues.
Sony owns the shows and produces them on its Culver City lot.
Last month, a Los Angeles judge ruled that Sony was no longer obligated to provide episodes to CBS, which has served for decades as the conduit, delivering batches of episodes to television stations around the country.
After that ruling, the Paramount Global-owned network appealed. A three-judge appellate panel paused the order and asked both sides to submit their arguments.
On Wednesday, the judges wrote that they had reviewed filings from both sides. In a one-page order, the panel granted CBS' request to keep the stay in place, allowing the network to continue its distribution duties during the appeal .
CBS maintains Sony lacks the legal right to unilaterally severe ties.
Read more: 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune' in the midst of a legal battle between Sony and CBS
Sony terminated its distribution deal with CBS in August and later filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit that claimed CBS entered into unauthorized licensing deals for the shows and then paid itself a commission. Sony also maintained that rounds of budget cuts within CBS had hobbled the network's efforts to support the two shows.
In February, Sony attempted to cut CBS out of the picture, escalating the dispute.
CBS has said Sony's claims 'are rooted in the fact they simply don't like the deal the parties agreed to decades ago.'
CBS takes in up to 40% of the fees that TV stations pay to carry the shows. The company took over the distribution of the program when it acquired syndication company King World Productions in 1999.
King World struck deals with the original producer, Merv Griffin Enterprises, in the early 1980s to distribute 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel.' Sony later acquired Griffin's company, but those early agreements remain in effect.
Read more: Judge sides with Sony in 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!' fight with CBS
As viewing of traditional TV has declined due to competition for streaming in recent years, the two daily game shows have continued to thrive and are among the most-watched programs in television.
A Sony representative was not immediately available for comment.
Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Digital Trends
an hour ago
- Digital Trends
You Asked: Best soundbars for Sony TVs and which budget Samsung QD-OLED should you choose?
On today's episode of You Asked: What's the best soundbar to pair with a Sony TV? Should you consider upgrading from the LG C3? Which Samsung QD-OLED offers the best value? And what's the best big-screen TV that won't break the bank? Best Soundbars for Your Sony TV Scott S asks: I just took the plunge and purchased the 77-inch Sony A95L to replace my 10-year-old Sony TV. Question is whether a good soundbar is worth it (assuming like a Sonos Arc) considering that I live in an apartment and the TV will only be about 10 feet away from the seating area. You have mentioned the great sound quality of the TV itself. Thanks for the question, Scott, and congrats on the new TV! The A95L is one of our all-time favorites. And while it does have solid sound quality, a top-tier TV like that deserves to be paired with something to elevate the listening experience and match the superior visuals. You mention the Sonos Arc, which is a great option, as is the Sonos Arc Ultra, which improves on an already great soundbar. I'd also say the Sonos Beam is worth taking a look at. It has a more subtle look that some prefer, but still packs the goods in terms of audio quality. I don't know how much you're looking to spend, but I'd also suggest the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, since you spared no expense on the TV purchase. The Theater Quad is not cheap, but it's a perfect pairing with your Sony TV and is well suited for your apartment. Sony's 360 Spatial Mapping does a great job dialing each speaker in based on placement. Plus, with its Acoustic Center Sync feature allowing the TV audio to act as the center channel, the Theater Quad is designed to handle odd placements throughout a room to give you the best immersive audio experience for watching shows and movies. It's also one of our favorite choices for music listening. If you want a more direct head-to-head comparison of the top choices between Sonos and Sony, we did a video on that not too long ago. You can also check out our best soundbars list. Upgrades from the LG C3 and Sony A80J? Nicolas Lacroix asks: I have had the pleasure of two OLED sets for a few years now: a Sony A80J and LG C3. What would be the upgrade path in 2025? What's going to look better? I want to go a bit bigger. My current sets are 55 inches and 65 inches, respectively. I'm also a latest gen console gamer. Talk about good problems to have — needing to upgrade your two OLED TVs. In terms of taking the next steps with two of the top TV brands, both known for outstanding picture quality, here are some options in case you're leaning one way or the other. On the Sony side, look at the Bravia 8 Mark II or the A95L. Coming from an A80J, both recommended options are equipped with QD-OLED panels, offering brighter, more vibrant, and pure colors. We've raved about the A95L to no end, and the Bravia 8 Mark II should only improve on it. However, since you mentioned wanting to go bigger than your 55-inch A80J, if you're looking at 65 inches or certainly 77, the price difference between the A95L and Bravia 8 Mark II is significant. The 65-inch A95L is currently on sale for $2,900, while the Bravia 8 Mark II sits at $4,000. Also, the Bravia 8 Mark II is not available above 65 inches. So if you're planning to purchase a pair of TVs, you might want to save where you can, and I'm not sure you'll see $1,200 worth of difference. Some even rate the A95L higher than its 'successor.' When it comes to gaming, the differences are tiny. Both have the same inputs: two HDMI 2.1 ports and two HDMI 2.0. Both support 4K 120Hz gaming and VRR with virtually zero difference in input lag. As for upgrading from your LG C3, that's still a great TV and just two years old. But if you must, I'd say jump past the C-series to the LG G5 to see a real, noticeable improvement worth spending thousands of dollars on. The four-stack OLED panel significantly improves brightness and color purity, taking the G5 beyond the already excellent G4. I mention the G4 because the new G5 costs a pretty penny, and the G4 is also a notable step up from your C3, just in case you want to save a bit. Both have four HDMI 2.1 inputs, plus a full slate of gaming features like 4K high refresh rates and VRR, making them great choices for gamers wanting to connect multiple consoles and audio devices. Samsung S95C vs. S90D: Which Should You Buy? @hermievanzyl9649 asks: For the same price, is the Samsung S95C or S90D a better option to buy and why? These are both excellent TVs. As someone who has a 2023 Samsung TV as their daily driver, I've come to love it — the picture quality holds up extremely well and the user interface is just as snappy as day one. When it comes to the two you mentioned, the S90D is a little brighter than the S95C and has slightly better picture processing. That's not saying the S95C is bad — far from it. Unless you put them side by side, I don't know if you'd notice a difference, and even then it's splitting hairs. The biggest difference is the One Connect Box that comes with the S95C. It lets you connect your external devices to the box instead of directly to the TV, giving you more flexibility with your setup, especially if your TV is hard to reach or mounted to the wall. So, if you want that setup versatility, go with the S95C. If you want slightly improved image quality, go with the S90D. I'll also say — when I saw this question, I thought, 'Where are they finding the S95C for that price right now?' Sure enough, there are a few places with it under $2,000. A solid deal for a QD-OLED, even if it's a 2023 model. Best Affordable Huge TVs Worth Buying? @Pimpincrispy1978 asks: What is the most affordable 98- to 100-inch TV that is still worth buying? I'm guessing Samsung Crystal UHD is a hard no? I'm looking for another TV that I can enjoy for another 10 years or so. Hey, you said it, not me. I'm going to go with a hard pass on the Crystal UHD, especially because Samsung has that DU9000 98-inch listed for $2,500 right now. For that money, you're still getting a pretty basic LED TV with basic HDR performance. For affordability, you should check out options from TCL and Hisense. The TCL QM6K is on sale for less than that Samsung, and you're getting a Quantum Dot Mini LED panel that supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos audio, and faster refresh rates. The QM7K only improves on that if you want to spend a bit more. The same goes for Hisense with the 100-inch U7 from 2024. It's on Amazon now for $1,900 and offers quantum dot color with full array local dimming, Dolby Vision and Atmos — the works. I know you're concerned with longevity, but I can't guarantee any TV will last 10 years. They should, and some will, depending on how much and how you use it. But I wouldn't pay more for a lesser TV just for a brand name.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Lynn Hamilton, 'Sanford and Son\
Lynn Hamilton, an actress known for her roles on "Sanford and Son" and "The Waltons," has died. She was 95. Hamilton's death was confirmed in a statement on Facebook and Instagram from her former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson, who said that the actress died on June 19 "surrounded by her grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers." "With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia 'Lynn' Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire," Carson said. "Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film, and television actress." Hamilton starred as nurse Donna Harris, girlfriend of Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx), on the classic sitcom "Sanford and Son" beginning in 1972. The influential show, which aired on NBC, also starred Demond Wilson and LaWanda Page. Hamilton also portrayed Verdie on the CBS drama "The Waltons," beginning in 1973. She reprised the role in the television movies "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion" and "A Walton Easter." 'Sanford and Son': Looking back at the 'double-edged' Black sitcom pioneer 50 years later The actress made her on-screen debut in the 1958 John Cassavetes film "Shadows," and throughout her career, she appeared on shows like "Dangerous Women," "Room 222," "Mannix," "Gunsmoke," "Hawaii Five-O," "Good Times," "Starsky and Hutch," "The Rockford Files" and "Roots: The Next Generation." She also starred on the NBC soap opera "Generations." On the film side, Hamilton had roles in movies like "Lady Sings the Blues," starring Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams, and "Buck and the Preacher," starring Sidney Poitier. Hamilton continued to act into the 2000s with roles on "NYPD Blue," "The Practice" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Nathaniel Taylor, best known as Rollo on 'Sanford and Son,' dies at 80 Hamilton was married to writer Frank Jenkins until his death in 2014. They worked together on theater productions such as "Nobody" and "The Bert Williams Story," according to Carson, who said that their "partnership was a shining example of creativity, love, and dedication."
Business of Fashion
2 hours ago
- Business of Fashion
This Week: Nike's Earnings and Jonathan Anderson's Dior Debut
We're all economics nerds in a post-Liberation Day world, so in a sense, this week's big reveal will be the Conference Board's monthly gauge of US consumer confidence, due out Tuesday. That survey will only tell us something about whether people are shopping, however. To find out what they'll be buying, we have Nike and Dior. Nike's Multifaceted Turnaround What's Happening: Nike reports fourth-quarter and full-year results on June 26. Analysts have an average forecast for sales to drop 15 percent for the quarter and 11 percent for the year, along with a sharp contraction in profits. Eye on the Horizon: Most have written off Nike's fiscal 2025, and will be instead watching for whether the sportswear giant releases guidance for the coming year, along with CEO Elliott Hill's outlook on the earnings call Thursday afternoon. FOMO: Nike watchers assume it's only a matter of time before the brand enters a new golden age, or at least halts its decline. Exactly when that will happen is the billion-dollar question; in a research note, UBS said Nike's stock may even be priced artificially high because investors worry they'll mistime the rebound (remarkable, given shares are trading close to an eight-year low). That dynamic provides Nike leadership a bit of breathing room to implement their plans, though it also increases the consequences if they push out their turnaround timeline. ADVERTISEMENT About Those Plans…: Nike learned the hard way why you don't put all your eggs in one basket, after its retro sneaker boom went bust. Along with marking down holdover Dunks, Nike is seeding numerous potential comeback efforts, including its (yes, retro) Vomero running shoe, the soccer cleat-inspired Cryoshots and reviving women's basketball sneakers with a signature shoe from the WNBA's A'ja Wilson. And of course there's NikeSkims, the new lifestyle sub-brand with Kim Kardashian. Even Nike-owned Converse is pitching in with a much talked about (though still unreleased) sneaker with basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Patience Please: Any or all of these efforts could be the next great Nike franchise, but it will take years of meticulous execution to pull off. We'll find out Thursday if the company is confident enough in its plans to put a date on its return to form. A Big Debut at Dior Jonathan Anderson speaking at BoF Voices in 2023. (Getty Images) What's Happening: Jonathan Anderson makes his much-anticipated Dior debut with a men's show in Paris on June 27, the first and perhaps the biggest in a series of major designer debuts slated for the coming months. A Long Time Coming: Anderson was named creative director of Dior Men's in April, though his long-rumoured appointment to replace Maria Grazia Chiuri wasn't made official until earlier this month. Debuting with a men's show, rather than couture or women's, could be seen as a 'soft launch,' though given the many months of anticipation and the stakes, his collection won't lack for attention. Needing a Spark: The luxury sector is mired in its worst downturn in years. LVMH's brands, which initially defied the trend, are now struggling to keep customers engaged just like everyone else (though declines, while significant, are nowhere near the carnage at Gucci or Burberry). Creative directors can only do so much, but having the right vision and products makes the changes to supply chains and pricing architecture needed to revive the industry's prospects go down easier. The Week Ahead wants to hear from you! Send tips, suggestions, complaints and compliments to
