‘WOF’, ‘Jeopardy!’ Employees Caught In Middle Of Aggressive Sony Lawsuit
Popular game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have recently gotten caught up in a lawsuit between employees and their higher-ups. An inside source has recently shed some light on the situation. In particular, the source shared what the ultimate, at least intended, goal of the suit could be.
The Recent Lawsuit Could Impact ‘Jeopardy!’ & ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Employees
Sony has served as the producer of both show over the past two years. However, they recently filed a suit against CBS, the shows’ distributor.
According to allegations, Sony claims the network entered unauthorized licensing deals for two products. It was then claimed they turned around and paid itself commission on the deals.
It’s also been claimed that CBS licensed the game shows at a rate lower than expected. This also was said to have negatively impacted advertising revenues.
As noted by Closer Weekly, a complaint read, “The reality is that CBS has been egregiously undercutting the value of these shows.” It was alleged this was done “in favor of its own self-interest and in violation of its contractual obligations.”
An inside source also recently spoke with the publication about the suit. As they shared, “The new-ish bosses at Sony Pictures Television are not happy with having the two highest rated shows in syndication with Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune and they are opting to be super aggressive with their longtime distribution partners at CBS over how exactly these shows are being monetized.”
The Source Acknowledged The Suit Can Seem ‘Heartless’ To Employees
The source continued that, “It’s a risky strategy when you sue people who you are in regular, even daily business with, but the feeling at Sony is these shows are worth a lot more than anybody realizes.” They also claimed, “They have a ton of leverage right now because their creative decision to pick Ryan Seacrest as Pat Sajak‘s replacement has created a ratings boost for the show not seen in years.”
The publication also noted that CBS obtains around 35-40% on commission from stations that are authorized to air the shows. However, Sony claims the network’s deals in Australia and New Zealand went against their earlier agreement. It was further claimed that CBS refused to turn over the revenue earned on these deals, which could be millions.
The source claimed, “Sony is going after every penny these shows are worth.” They notably acknowledged, “It may look a little heartless if you’re a long serving crew-member on one of these shows.” However, it was claimed that “redefining the distribution relationship is meant to make both shows more profitable and extend their lives.”
One person the source claimed would prove a pivotal figure in the suit is Ryan Seacrest. As they noted, “There’s also the matter of securing Ryan for a longer term than his current two-year contract. That’s going to be Sony’s bill to pay.” The source continued, “Even though they’ve created some short-term uncertainty with this lawsuit, the top executives genuinely believe it will be good for the health of the franchises, long term.”
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I wouldn’t care if they took all game shows off television, that has nothing to do with the high cost of living! Grassroots people need money now, these bs holidays are in America are killing the poor man, so what if it’s the first day of the year, that’s no reason for everything to come to a screeching halt, I hate it ! America is a ruse !!!