TELEVISION'S TOP TWO GAME SHOWS "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" AND "JEOPARDY!" RENEWED THROUGH THE 2017-2018 SEASON
Now Renewed in 80% of the Country Including
on the ABC Owned Television Station Group, Sinclair, Media General, Gray Television
and Other Major Groups
LOS ANGELES - APRIL 9, 2015 - WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY!, television's top two game shows each averaging more than 10 million viewers daily, have been renewed through the 2017-2018 season, it was announced today by Joe DiSalvo, President of Sales for CBS Television Distribution.
Both shows were renewed for two more years beyond stations' current contracts in 80% of the country including on the ABC Owned Television Station Group, Sinclair, Media General, Gray Television, Hearst, Graham Media, Tribune, Cox, Meredith, Dispatch Broadcasting, NBC and Scripps.
"Not only are WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! iconic brands that have consistently delivered ratings and revenue to stations for years, but they are beloved by viewers who have made them appointment viewing in households across the country," DiSalvo said. "They are two of the most sought after shows by political advertisers, so our station partners will benefit from locking up these shows through the upcoming 2016 presidential election season."
The new deal will take WHEEL OF FORTUNE through its 35th season and JEOPARDY! through its 34th season; the shows' hosts Alex Trebek, Pat Sajak and Vanna White have all renewed their deals through the 2017-2018 season.
In the top three markets, WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! air on the ABC-owned stations WABC-TV, New York; KABC-TV, Los Angeles; and WLS-TV, Chicago.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! are two of syndication's most successful series and both continue to attract a larger audience than many primetime television shows. WHEEL OF FORTUNE has been the #1 syndicated game show since its inception. Hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White, WHEEL OF FORTUNE has earned seven Emmy Awards, including the 2011 Emmy for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show.
Hosted by Alex Trebek, JEOPARDY! is the #2 game show in syndication. JEOPARDY!, holds the Guinness World Records(R) title for the most Emmy Awards won by a TV game show (31 Emmys), including the 2014 Emmy for Outstanding Game Show. In 2014, JEOPARDY! won the inaugural Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Writing for Quiz and Audience Participation; it is also the recipient of a 2011 Peabody Award.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! are produced by Sony Pictures Television, A Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, and executive produced by Harry Friedman. They are distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Studios International, both units of CBS Corp.
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