Spain's Supreme Court bans Antena 3 from airing Pasapalabra's word wheel
Spain's Supreme Court has barred Antena 3 from broadcasting the Pasapalabra word wheel over an intellectual property infringement. Mediaset is already preparing a new show featuring the round.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Supreme Court sinks Pasapalabra's word wheel: end of a decade of lawsuits
Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that Antena 3 cannot broadcast the Pasapalabra word wheel due to an intellectual property infringement. The decision, announced on 21 May 2026, brings an end to a legal battle that began in 2019, when Telecinco broke its agreement with ITV and lost the rights. Now, the owner of the word wheel has won the lawsuit, and the quiz show as we know it changes course.
The numbers that kept the jackpot going
During his time on the show from October 2021, Orestes came close to the jackpot fifteen times, falling just one correct answer short. On ten of those occasions, his rival was Rafa Castaño, who ultimately took the prize. These figures show the strain of a format that, according to some analyses, needed to build up the jackpot for months and test contestants until it found someone audiences warmed to. The losers' repechage kept the same faces on screen for months, diluting the excitement.
Who will broadcast the word wheel now?
Mediaset, the group that owns Telecinco, has already announced that it is preparing a new show with the word wheel after acquiring the rights to the round. This suggests the format will not disappear, but rather switch channels. The Supreme Court's decision closes the Antena 3 chapter, but opens the door to a new stage in which intellectual property will be the key.
The question that remains is whether the word wheel will survive on another channel or whether this ruling marks the beginning of the end for the format.
Related discussions in the forum
Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that Antena 3 cannot broadcast the Pasapalabra word wheel due to an intellectual property infringement. The decision, announced on 21 May 2026, brings an end to a legal battle that began in 2019, when Telecinco broke its agreement with ITV and lost the rights. Now, the owner of the word wheel has won the lawsuit, and the quiz show as we know it changes course.
The numbers that kept the jackpot going
During his time on the show from October 2021, Orestes came close to the jackpot fifteen times, falling just one correct answer short. On ten of those occasions, his rival was Rafa Castaño, who ultimately took the prize. These figures show the strain of a format that, according to some analyses, needed to build up the jackpot for months and test contestants until it found someone audiences warmed to. The losers' repechage kept the same faces on screen for months, diluting the excitement.
Who will broadcast the word wheel now?
Mediaset, the group that owns Telecinco, has already announced that it is preparing a new show with the word wheel after acquiring the rights to the round. This suggests the format will not disappear, but rather switch channels. The Supreme Court's decision closes the Antena 3 chapter, but opens the door to a new stage in which intellectual property will be the key.
The question that remains is whether the word wheel will survive on another channel or whether this ruling marks the beginning of the end for the format.
Related discussions in the forum
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (5 replies).
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