ABC has been the home of Wheel of Fortune and its Celebrity spinoff for years. But the network is making a huge change this summer. New episodes will air exclusively on streaming services. Does this surprising move indicate ABC’s larger plan to move more content to streaming only? Keep reading for all the details on the special episodes.
Wheel Of Fortune Spinoff To Air Episodes Exclusive To Streaming
ABC is shaking up its summer schedule. The network put Bachelor Nation shows on pause after Taylor Frankie Paul’s scandalous background was revealed. The summer schedule is game-show heavy, as most scripted series went on hiatus until the fall.
Wheel of Fortune typically airs on ABC and is available on social media the next day. But this summer, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune will only be available on streaming. Deadline shared that the special episodes will eventually air on ABC this fall for Season 7. But for this summer, ten special episodes will air only on Disney+ and Hulu beginning on June 12.
Guests On Special Episodes
Footage of race car driver Kyle Busch competing on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune went viral this week after the shocking news that he had passed away. The popular spinoff has featured celebrities from sports, movies, TV, and more. Check out which celebrities are competing on the special ten episodes that hit streaming in June:
- Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas
- Michael Urie, Yvonne Orji and Hasan Minhaj
- Sarah Chalke, Nat Faxon and Joel Kim Booster
- New Girl stars Hannah Simone, Lamorne Morris and Jake Johnson
- Andrea Savage, Brian Austin Green and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward
- Jamie Lynn Sigler, Dan Bucatinsky and WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella
- Vanessa Lachey, Adam Conover and Simon Rex
- Kelly McCreary, Billy Gardell and Mary Elizabeth Ellis
- Top Chef host Kristen Kish, rapper and chef Action Bronson and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed
- Jordin Sparks, Scott Auckerman and Brett Gelman
Fans Confused By Decision
As Deadline pointed out, ABC tried unsuccessfully to move Dancing With The Stars exclusively to Disney+ several years ago. The experiment was an epic failure and DWTS was back on ABC the next season. The daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives left NBC in 2022 and now airs only on Peacock.
Wheel of Fortune has a special collaboration coming up with a huge national brand. Some viewers speculated that the game show is in dire need of money, hence all the sponsored episodes in the last few months. One fan took to Reddit to share concerns about ABC’s decision not to air Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC.
- “Wonder why they can’t just air these on ABC in the summer since they don’t have as many game shows this summer. No Pyramid, no Match Game, no 19th Jeopardy spinoff.”
ABC definitely has a lackluster schedule this summer. But the ten special episodes are still expected to air on regular TV later this year. Share your reaction in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
