Wheel

Sony Pictures Television and CBS have struck a compromise in their hard-fought legal battle over distribution rights to the popular “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” syndicated game shows.

“We have reached an amicable resolution,” Sony and CBS said Friday in a joint statement. “We look forward to working together to continue bringing these beloved shows to audiences and stations around the world.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

As part of the deal, CBS will continue to distribute the shows in the U.S. for an additional 2 ½ years — through the 2027-2028 television season. After that, Sony will control the domestic distribution rights.

Sony owns both shows and produces them on its Culver City lot.

The shows have retained their popularity and solid ratings even in the streaming age, as traditional TV has declined. They remain among the most-watched programs on television.

The dispute began more than a year ago, when Sony terminated its distribution deal with CBS and later filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit that claimed CBS had entered into unauthorized licensing deals for the shows and then paid itself a commission. Sony also maintained that budget cuts within CBS, which is owned by Paramount, had hobbled the network’s efforts to support the two shows.

Earlier this year, Sony attempted to cut CBS out of the picture, escalating the dispute.

CBS has long maintained that it had the legal rights to distribute the shows to television stations around the country. The broadcaster previously alleged that Sony’s claims were “rooted in the fact they simply don’t like the deal the parties agreed to decades ago.”

For years, CBS has raked in up to 40% of the fees that TV stations pay to carry the shows. The network took over the distribution of the programs when it acquired syndication company King World Productions in 1999.

King World struck deals with the show’s original producer, Merv Griffin Enterprises, in the early 1980s to distribute “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.” Sony later acquired Griffin’s company, but those early agreements remained in effect.

As part of this week’s resolution, CBS will manage all advertising sales through the 2029-2030 television season.

However, Sony will take over all marketing, promotions and affiliate relations for the shows after the current television season, which ends in mid-2026. Sony will also handle the lucrative brand integration campaigns.

In another element that was important to Sony, the studio will claim international distribution rights beginning this December.

Nov. 3 (UPI) — Two young girls were in intensive care at a hospital after they were thrown from a Ferris wheel at a festival near Baton Rouge, La.

The girls, both under 13 years old, around noon Saturday were ejected from the ride’s basket while it was rotating and they fell 20 feet onto a steel platform in New Roads, which is part of Pointe Coupee Parish, about 40 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. A third girl clung to the basket and was rescued.

WAFB-TV reported one girl has a possible brain bleed and the other has broken bones. They were taken to the Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, NBC News reported.

Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux told NBC News that the girls were sitting in the basket when it tipped over.

“As it was going around, it was just, like, stuck at an angle and they flipped out of it,” Ronald Brasseaux, who witnessed the incident, told WAFB-TV.

He said he felt unsafe riding the same ferris wheel the previous day.

“They need to take this thing down,” he told the TV station.

Brasseaux said he believes the basket’s hinges might have gotten stuck.

The ride didn’t have any restraints.

“I feel like it should be seatbelts on there, because, mind you, it’s just a gate on there, like somebody can easily fall out, a child can easily just open the gate and then step out,” witness Madison Fields told WBRZ-TV.

Another visitor, Eddie Jones, told WAFB: “We were in line to buy tickets to the Ferris wheel, and I heard a girl scream, and I looked over, and the Ferris wheel car was kicked over. I don’t know how it got in that position, but it was stuck. Yeah, I’ll probably never get on another Ferris wheel.”

He posted video of the accident on Facebook.

The ride and another one nearby were closed to the public amid an investigation.

The state’s fire marshal’s office is required to perform safety checks on rides and attractions.

The Ferris wheel is operated by Crescent City Amusements, based in Slidell, La.

In 2023, a ride operated by the company, the Ring of Fire, stranded riders upside-down for more than three hours in northeastern Wisconsin. An investigation found a lighting transformer lodged into the track.

The Ferris wheel was part of the annual Harvest Festival, which supports the local agriculture-based community,” according to its website. It ran from Friday through Sunday on False River.

The Ferris wheel is named after its inventor, civil engineer George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who designed the ride for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The Wheel viewers were left feeling emotional on Saturday night

The Wheel fans were “in tears” as a contestant won the jackpot after their daughter’s death.

Michael McIntyre‘s The Wheel sees members of the public answer trivia questions with the support of celebrity experts.

The famous faces on tonight’s show included Josh Widdecombe, Chris Harris, Colin Jackson, Harriet Kemsley, Shirley Ballas, Frankie Bridge, Jordan North and William Hanson.

40-year-old father-of-two Gordon, who is from Glasgow, was one of the contestants taking part and shared his heartfelt story.

The NHS porter manager revealed to Michael that his 10-year-old daughter, Bella, lives with cystic fibrosis and has always dreamed of visiting Japan.

His other daughter, Ruby, sadly passed away over two and a half years ago from a brain tumour.

If he went on to win, Gordon shared that he was planning to donate some of the money to the Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his daughter, with the rest of the funds going towards Bella’s dream holiday.

Later in the show, Gordon reached the final question, and went on to play for £31,000 with the help of comedian Harriet Kemsley.

They were asked which pop legend secured the first solo UK number one single, with the possible answers being Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.

The pair jointly decided to go with Beyoncé, with the room soon being lit up in gold as Gordon successfully won the jackpot.

Gordon became emotional as he spoke about his late daughter, saying: “When she was diagnosed, she was given six to nine months to live but with her attitude – she was just a ray of sunshine – she had a really good three years.

“She started school, she was a bridesmaid at my brother’s wedding, so as a family mantra we came up with the motto, ‘Be a bit more Ruby.'”

The show’s viewers quickly took to X to share their delight after Gordon’s win, with one person writing: “Love it when the person you’re rooting for on The Wheel actually wins! Go on Gordon!”

Another added: “Most deserving winner on The Wheel losing a child to a brain tumour and another seriously ill with cystic fibrosis. This world is so cruel. Well done Gordon!”

A third said: “Oh I am actually crying. What a well deserved winner,” with another similarly sharing: “Aww Gordon! That was so emotional!!”

The Wheel is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Fans of Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel watched on as a lollipop lady took home one of the biggest jackpots in the show’s history after a dramatic final question

Michael McIntyre made dreams come true after an elated contestant on The Wheel bagged one of the biggest ever jackpots on the show. Lollipop lady Sally from Gateshead went all in in the final showdown, surprisingly choosing the game’s lowest-ranked celebrity to help her with the final question.

It saw her have the chance to scoop a £110,000 jackpot, doubling what she had banked in the cash builder throughout the show. After picking former rugby star Joe Marler as her famous face to help her, he joked: “I’m not doing it. I feel sick,” as he looked stunned she had gone for broke.

But together the pair somehow managed to unearth the right answer, correctly revealing that Jade Jones had medalled in the Olympics in Taekwondo. Sally, who had earlier this year recovered from lung cancer, had doubted herself after locking in the answer.

READ MORE: BBC The Wheel contestant’s heartwarming plan for £110k win revealedREAD MORE: The 1% Club apologises after major mishap leaves fans frustrated

Both she and Joe looked far from convinced they were onto a winner. But thankfully for the north-east based contestant, the ticker turned gold, giving her the huge six-figure sum.

The gobsmacked contestant couldn’t believe it as she gasped: “Oh my God,” before removing her glasses to wipe away the tears. She was in so much shock that she kept asking the celebs around the wheel, including Jill Scott and Roman Kemp, if this was really happening.

Revealing to comedian Michael how she would be spending the prize, she sobbed how she would treat her husband and friends who had helped her through her tough cancer treatment: “We can get the van and we can go off on our adventures,” she revealed.

“I can treat my friends to thank them,” she said before breaking down in tears again to a round of applause from the celebs and the audience. “What a year,” she continued.

“What a year, of course,” Michael replied. “You got the all clear this year.” “Oh my God,” she again exclaimed before revealing: “I’m not going to hang my lollipop up, mind! I love it… Oh my God. Did that just happen?”

“And well done Joe as well,” Michael added in between applause. He had helped whittle down the question to two answers, with Sally picking the correct one for a dramatic end to the popular gameshow.

Sally’s tears weren’t the only shed on the show on Saturday. Michael McIntyre said, “I wasn’t expecting this,” as the first contestant also down in tears.

Hannah, a data analyst from Macclesfield, revealed a special connection she had with rugby star Joe. “I struggled with mental health for quite a while,” she said.

“I never really had a hobby,” she went on before pausing as she began to tear up. “I was always kind of a lost kind of person growing up; I didn’t know if I was coming or going. This said person brought out a podcast about mental health and rugby”.

As she welled up again, she then told Michael: “I now play rugby; it is a massive passion of mine and if it wasn’t for Joe, then I wouldn’t be doing it.”

READ MORE: Suitcase packing cubes save so much space there’s ‘room for gifts’ now 45% off

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.