Pat Sajak's Final 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' Season Delayed for Surprising Reason

Fans are going to have to wait a little longer than expected to see Pat Sajak make his “final spin” on Season 4 of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

While ABC had initially revealed that the new season of the show–and Sajak’s last-ever as host–would return this October, Parade has learned that is no longer the case, as the series return has been delayed. 

🤩🤩 SIGN UP for Parade’s Trending News newsletter & we’ll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments & celebrity news everyone is talking about 🗞️🗞️

“’Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,’ ‘Press Your Luck’ and ABC News’ ‘Scamanda’ will premiere in 2025,” the network said in a new press release shared with TVLine on Friday, Oct. 11, pushing the series’ original premiere date back by a few months.

Thankfully, the decision to delay airing has nothing to do with the host, who walked away from Wheel of Fortune last season and is set to ring in his 78th birthday in just two weeks, as it’s presumed that he’s already taped most of the season (given that the trailer for the upcoming season had already been released before it was removed, likely in response to the news). Instead, sports are to blame. 

According to the official announcement, ABC is adding “six Monday Night Football simulcasts to its previously announced schedule” as part of a new deal–and it’s not the first time the network has issued a shakeup to its fall 2024 programming.

“The decision to add more simulcast games was made in conjunction with the NFL and is just for the 2024-25 season,” the statement read. “This schedule leans into the cross-promotional opportunities, maximizing the reach of NFL programming across the Disney ecosystem. ESPN has already aired four exclusive games during 2024 season and will have three additional exclusive games, with two in November and one in December. There are 25 Games on ESPN’s 2024 NFL Schedule.”

“This move will give the ABC game shows ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Press Your Luck’ a more consistent, weekly run in midseason when there are less preemptions (i.e. football, 2024 election),” the broadcast company added.

Though the network hasn’t announced a new premiere date for Sajak’s sendoff season, it will likely air in its usual time slot on Monday nights.  

Next: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Announce Major ‘Live’ Shakeup