Wheel of Fortune is teaming up with Coca-Cola and America250 for a limited “Drink in America” event, turning the familiar stage into a glossy tribute to the country’s 250th birthday. For two non-consecutive weeks starting June 1, contestants will spin past a Coca-Cola wheel wedge for lavish trips to Los Angeles, New York City’s Times Square ball drop, and Ryan Seacrest’s hometown of Atlanta, all wrapped in patriotic imagery. A Jeep bonus-round prize and a nationwide “Drink in America Giveaway” — offering vacations to national parks and Universal Studios Florida — push the celebration beyond the studio and into viewers’ living rooms.
But the makeover comes with tension. On Reddit, longtime fans complain the show is drowning in sponsors and losing its cozy, low-key charm. What producers frame as a once-in-a-generation tribute to American stories, some viewers see as another glossy ad break invading their most nostalgic game show.