Of all the small-screen debuts popping up in the 2025 Fall TV schedule, only one can change someone’s fate with the spin of a wheel: Wheel of Fortune. (Okay, The Price Is Right also counts, but we’re only talking about horizontal wheels here.) One of the best game shows of all time, WoF is gearing up for Season 43 to debut, and it looks like there’s an interesting new wheel wedge to mark the occasion.
Audiences got one of their first looks at the new season when Wheel of Fortune shared a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram that featured a quick look at the latest iteration of the big wheel. Check it out below and see if you can spot the seemingly new addition right off.
In the comment section of the video, one fan chimed in and pointed out the assumed change, sparking the response also seen below:
- Wait, is that a new wedge I see on the wheel? - @iamdanielmcgee
- Yeah, and it looks like it reads “Year of Fun” on top. I could be wrong thoe. - @germanname1990
Sure enough, there does seem to be a new wheel entry labeled as "Year of Fun," with some colorful splashes on the wedge itself. Perhaps someone can say differently, that it's actually saying "Hear oh Fan," but then I'm going to also want to know what "Hear oh Fan" means as a game show prize.
Considering Wheel of Fortune is still technically celebrating 50 years since its TV debut, the prize wedge could have something to do with that anniversary, even if the prize itself doesn't directly tie into anything specific. But what kind of a prize could that even be, and is it going to be big enough to cause players to tackle Ryan Seacrest on the set in celebration?
My Guesses For What The "Year Of Fun" Wheel Wedge Means
Wheel of Fortune obviously gives away some huge and lavish prizes each season that no doubt add up over time, which makes a "Year of..." anything seem like potential overkill. In that way, I can't imagine it will be akin to a year-long cruise that circumnavigates the globe a dozen times, since that would be a costly affair. (Maybe if the new prize was set as a third of a wedge like the $1 million prize, I'd think differently. ) But I also don't think it'll end up being a slightly jokey prize like Let's Make a Deal's giving players a year's supply of Rice-a-Roni. So what else could it be?
- Season tickets for a desired sports team.
- Concert tickets from a specific arena, or from a specific artist/group.
- A year's worth of Broadway tickets.
- A year-long pass to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando or another major theme park.
- Free movie tickets (and snacks) for a year from a specific theater chain.
- The contestant is forced to listen to the band Fun's two albums on repeat for an entire year.
Okay, so that last one is probably the least likely choice, but most of the others seem feasible at least. Which isn't to say any of those ideas are correct, but I'm eager to see how close I got.
Another New Wedge May Also Be Involved
Directly across from the presumed "Year of Fun" wedge is another wheel spot that doesn't immediately look familiar to me, though I could easily be wrong about that. Part of the issue is that it's nearly impossible to read the words on the wedge.
If I squint, I can almost convince myself that it says something about Canada, possibly indicating a Canadian vacation, but it could also easily be canapes or Canton or something about a camera. There's only way surefire way to find out, and it involves being in front of your TV when new episodes debut.
Wheel of Fortune Season 43 will premiere on Monday, September 8, in syndication. Thankfully for any fans like me whose pre-primetime game shows often get preempted by weather reports and local news updates, both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will steam the next day with either a Peacock subscription or a Hulu subscription.
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