‘Wheel of Fortune’ Viewers Furious Over Season Premiere Issue

Wheel of Fortune fans have expressed their outrage on social media after Monday’s Season 41 premiere episode was preempted in several markets.

The enduringly popular game show was scheduled to return to screens across the U.S. on Monday evening. The new season will be the last for Pat Sajak as host, following his announcement in June that he was departing the role he has held since 1981.

As fans prepared to watch a fresh batch of contestants vie for a host of prizes, many were met with disappointment as a half-hour Monday Night Football pre-show meant Wheel of Fortune was bumped from its usual slot in several markets.

Wheel of Fortune, which airs on ABC, was bumped from its usual time slot in such markets as New York and Chicago in favor of preview discussion ahead of the New York Jets’ game against the Buffalo Bills.

This led to the game show’s broadcast being pushed to the early hours of the following day in a number of the affected markets.

While it’s common for scheduled shows to be preempted by major events, the fact that Wheel of Fortune was affected by what was essentially discussion ahead of the football game in question left many fans incensed.

“Nobody asked for Monday Night Football pregame,” wrote one viewer on X (formerly Twitter). “We don’t need talking heads chit-chatting behind a table or on an empty field way before the actual event. Go crazy during game time, but stop robbing Wheel of Fortune of ratings on ABC stations.”

“Sorry, but football does not need a half hour pre show…especially when the season premier of @WheelofFortune is supposed to be on,” another fan complained.

“Was excited for football and the new season of #WheelOfFortune tonight. But then I became bummed when I found out Wheel is preempted by the pregame show,” said another. “Wheel of Fortune will be on at 3:05AM in Chicago. Set your DVR.”

X user @WheelRob10, who describes himself in his profile as a former Wheel of Fortune champ, shared a detailed thread about the impact of the broadcast reshuffle.

“ABC adding pregame to its national Monday Night Football broadcasts this year is a huge detriment to Wheel of Fortune and its ratings,” he wrote. “Yes, in some markets, it pre-empts Jeopardy! or Entertainment Tonight, but Wheel has it the worst because there are rules on how it can air.”

He continued: “Wheel of Fortune‘s syndicator forces its stations to air it at 7:00 or 7:30 ET/PT & 6:30 CT. You will not find the show in any other time slot. If a station asks for permission to air Wheel in the afternoon for a day they’ll be denied and forced to air it overnight or not at all.”

The same X user also uploaded the entire Wheel of Fortune episode in segments on the social media platform, saying that “ABC wants to screw over a TV institution in favor of people chit-chatting before anything actually happens.”

Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based ABC affiliate WBRZ-TV advised viewers in an X post that it had moved its Wheel of Fortune broadcast to air on its sister station, WBRZ+.

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Wheel of Fortune via email for comment.

Following the news that Sajak would be ending his role as the lead host on Wheel of Fortune, it was announced that he will be replaced next season by fellow TV personality Ryan Seacrest.

It was also revealed that Sajak will remain part of the working Wheel of Fortune family for at least three years after he steps down as host.

In a statement to the media, Suzanne Prete, executive vice president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, said Sajak would continue working on the show as a consultant.

“Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family!” Prete said.

Sajak’s impending departure ends an era in which he became a mainstay on American TV, alongside Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White, who joined the show in 1982. Sajak took the reins from Chuck Woolery, who hosted the show when it first launched in 1975.