Sony Pictures Television vet Suzanne Prete, who has driven the studio’s game show division since its launch in 2022, has been upped to president. The exec will continue to report to Sony Pictures TV chairman Ravi Ahuja, who announced the news Thursday in a memo to staffers.
“We established our dedicated game show group just two years ago, and under Suzanne’s leadership, our game show division has excelled beyond even our lofty expectations,” Ahuja said in the note, pointing particularly to Prete’s stewardship of both “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.”
“With her keen understanding of the incredible value these series hold, Suzanne was instrumental in securing a landmark five-year renewal deal with ABC to take the shows through the 2027-2028 season. She is also a driving force in expanding these syndicated powerhouses into multi-faceted franchises, including primetime specials such as ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,’ ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ and ‘Jeopardy! Masters.'”
Prete had most recently served as exec VP of game shows at Sony Pictures TV, overseeing business operations and game show content creation. The launch of the game show division came following a restructure of Sony’s unscripted departments in 2022, when the studio acquired a majority stake in Industrial Media, and Industrial’s Eli Holzman joined as Sony Pictures TV’s president of nonfiction entertainment, while the studio announced an expansion in game shows under Prete.
Prete also recently sold and produced a new U.S. adaptation of “Raid the Cage” for CBS. Other programs under her watch include “The $100,000 Pyramid.” Next up, she will oversee the host transition on “Wheel” as Ryan Seacrest succeeds Pat Sajak to host the 42nd season of “Wheel of Fortune” in 2024.
Prete first joined Sony Pictures TV in 1995 as a production attorney. Her work on strategic licensing deals, in-show product integrations and business partnerships on titles like “Wheel” and “Jeopardy!” included licensing those titles in the lottery, slot machine, and online gaming spaces.
Here is Ahuja’s memo to staff:
Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to share that Suzanne Prete, who leads our Game Show division, has been elevated to President, Game Shows for Sony Pictures Television.
We established our dedicated Game Show group just two years ago, and under Suzanne’s leadership, our Game Show division has excelled beyond even our lofty expectations. The team has expanded SPT’s established franchises and leveraged our extensive library of formats to create innovative “radical reboots,” while simultaneously developing original content for today’s buyers and audiences. She has built an exceptional team that has quickly achieved outstanding growth and become a best-in-class production operation, making significant contributions to the overall success of SPT.
Most notably, Suzanne and her team are behind two of the industry’s most beloved and successful shows on television,Jeopardy!andWheel of Fortune, which are the #1 and #2 non-sports programs across all platforms today.
With her keen understanding of the incredible value these series hold, Suzanne was instrumental in securing a landmark five-year renewal deal with ABC to take the shows through the 2027-2028 season. She is also a driving force in expanding these syndicated powerhouses into multi-faceted franchises, including primetime specials such asCelebrity Wheel of Fortune,Celebrity Jeopardy!andJeopardy! Masters, with more exciting developments on the horizon. And during her 29-year tenure at the studio, she has expanded the shows’ ancillary businesses through strategic licensing deals, in-show product integrations and business partnerships, including forging a multi-year licensing agreement forWheel of Fortunewith IGT, resulting in unprecedented success in casinos and lottery gaming.
Additionally, Suzanne and her team sold and produced a brand-new U.S. adaptation of our formatRaid the Cagefor CBS, and overseesThe $100,000 Pyramidon ABC, currently in its seventh season.
Suzanne is an invaluable member of SPT’s leadership team and will be an instrumental driver in continuing to grow and guide our game show business into the future. Please join me in congratulating Suzanne and wishing her continued success.
Ravi
