“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” are headed for a streaming deal for the first time as owner Sony Pictures Entertainment seeks a larger, younger audience.
On Thursday, Sony said it was soliciting bids from major media and tech companies for the streaming rights to new episodes of the two long-running series, according to The New York Times.
The parent company is in talks with several streaming services and expects to clinch a deal by early April, according to the report.
Sony said the streaming rights to the two popular game shows would start in September and could last for three years.
“The world is changing around us,” Keith Le Goy, chairman of Sony’s TV division, told the Times. “Consumption on streaming is now overtaking consumption of other forms of delivery of television.”
Sony did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” continue to rake in massive audiences despite premiering decades ago – in 1964 with host Art Fleming, and in 1975 with Chuck Woolery, respectively.
The two game shows draw about seven million viewers a night each, according to Nielsen.
But their audiences, along with other classic TV mainstays, are growing older and getting smaller.
So Sony is looking to grow its viewer base, mimicking the same tactic used by sports giants like WWE, which signed a deal last year to stream “WWE Raw” exclusively on Netflix.
The NFL, meanwhile, streams its Thursday games on Amazon Prime, and the Super Bowl streamed on free service Tubi for the first time this year.
Award shows, which also attract large audiences on traditional TV, have penned their own streaming deals. The Oscars, for example, will stream live on Hulu for the first time on Sunday.
New episodes of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” will stream on the winning bidder’s service the day after they air on syndicated television, according to the Times.
Same-day rights to new episodes will be available in September 2028, when pre-existing syndication deals expire, the report said.
Ravi Ahuja, who took the helm as Sony’s chief executive last month, said he has been brainstorming ways to move the shows to streaming since he joined the company four years ago.
“People are running all over town looking for intellectual property,” Ahuja told the Times.
“When I got here it was clear that ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy!’ were the proverbial assets hiding in plain sight. There was full awareness in the country, massive viewership and a passionate fan base. All of that pointed to a big opportunity for more growth,” he added.
Sony has overhauled the two shows as it prepares for a pivot to streaming.
Ryan Seacrest, known for his popular radio shows and role hosting “American Idol,” replaced longtime host Pat Sajak on “Wheel of Fortune” last year.
Seacrest signed a deal reaching through the early 2030s to help the show transition to streaming.
Ken Jennings, who holds the record for the longest winning streak on “Jeopardy!” with 74 wins in a row, became the full-time host in 2023.
Sony has revamped the sets and technology for both of the shows, including new green screens and monitors.
Meanwhile, Sony has been embroiled in a months-long tussle with CBS over distribution rights to the two syndicated shows, which the company said is separate from the streaming rights.
“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” together produce a whopping 425 syndicated episodes a year, which could help streaming services hold onto subscribers who regularly watch the shows.
The shows also generated a combined $175 million in ad revenue last year, according to data firm Guideline.
