A Los Angeles Superior Court judge backed Sony on Thursday in its legal feud with CBS over the the distribution rights for syndicated game shows “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.”
Sony had sued CBS in October, alleging its owed money from the two studios’ past distribution deals and that CBS breached its contract by setting up licensing deals in Australia and other overseas markets. CBS countersued in November, arguing that its contract is clear that it holds the distribution rights to the series in perpetuity. In February, CBS was granted a temporary restraining order after Sony moved to take over distribution rights that same month.
“The Court believes that Sony had the right, in its discretion, to terminate the distribution agreements in August 2024,” Judge Kevin Brazile wrote in the Thursday order. “The evidence shows that the agreements limit licensing agreements to a two-year period, but that CBS had made a number of agreements in Australia and New Zealand for a longer period of time.”
A Sony spokesperson told TheWrap that it is “gratified” by the court’s ruling and look forward to distributing the shows to over 200 stations that “license and count on this programming in the U.S. and around the world,” and the millions of fans who tune in every week.
In a statement to TheWrap, CBS Media Ventures said it plans to appeal the decision immediately.
“This is only a preliminary ruling based on partial evidence, not the outcome of the full case. We’re confident once all the evidence is heard at trial, we will prevail on the merits,” the spokesperson added. “In today’s ruling, the court itself recognized the balance of harm tips in CBS’ favor, so we will ask the appellate court for a stay pending our appeal.”