Bell Media strikes next-day SVoD pact for US gameshows Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune is set to begin its 43rd season

Crave, the Canadian streaming service owned by Bell Media, has signed a next-day streaming deal for American gameshow stalwarts Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

The exclusive pact, which Bell Media signed with Sony Pictures Entertainment Canada, will also see Crave licensing 100 library episodes of each show.

The agreement comes into effect on September 9, the day after the US launches of Jeopardy!’s 42nd season and Wheel of Fortune’s 43rd season.

The deal with Bell Media comes as Sony Pictures Entertainment looks to expand the streaming footprint of the gameshows. In June, it struck multi-year co-exclusive streaming deals with NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Disney’s Hulu for both properties.

The agreement gives Peacock, Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ national next-day rights to both gameshows, marking the first time in-season syndicated episodes have been made available on a national US streaming service.

Sony remains in a legal dispute with CBS over distribution of the shows, with Sony arguing that CBS owner Paramount has licensed the shows “well below market value” in the US and failed to maximise advertising revenue.

Most recently, a judge ruled that CBS can continue to distribute the gameshows for the duration of the legal proceeding. Streaming deals, it appears, fall outside the longstanding agreement between Sony and CBS, paving the way for the deals with Peacock, Hulu and Bell Media.

“We are thrilled to bring Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, two of the most successful gameshows in television history, to streaming audiences on Crave this fall,” said Flory Bramnick, executive VP of distribution in North America at Sony Pictures Entertainment. “These iconic properties have become pillars of broadcast syndication and we look forward to seeing them delight a new, untapped audience across streaming platforms.”