(Reuters) -Sony Pictures Television has assumed global distribution functions for syndicated TV game shows “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” citing failure by CBS Studios to live up to contract terms, the company said in a letter to CBS on Monday.
The studio had previously ended CBS’s distribution rights, alleging breach of agreement. Sony filed a lawsuit against CBS in October, alleging the distributor had undercut the value of the long-running shows in favor of its own interests.
Sony claimed CBS licensed the shows at below-market rates, both domestically and abroad, failed to maximize ad revenue and bundled the popular game shows with its own less-popular series.
The case is pending in state Superior Court in Los Angeles.
A CBS spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.
(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Rod Nickel)
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