There is nothing like a familiar face to serve up TV’s ultimate comfort food.

In September, Sony Pictures Television handed the keys to its game show “Wheel of Fortune” to Ryan Seacrest, broadcasting’s iron man. Nielsen data show “Wheel of Fortune” averaging 7.9 million viewers through Dec. 1, up 3% from a year ago during longtime host Pat Sajak’s final season.

“Wheel” has more viewers than every network nonsports prime-time series, with the exception of CBS’ “60 Minutes” and “Tracker.” More than 58 million people have tuned into some portion of the program this season. More people watch “Wheel” and Sony’s companion show “Jeopardy!” in the 7 p.m. hour than any single streaming service, including Netflix.

The bump in ratings for “Wheel” comes as traditional TV viewing continues to decline. The show gained viewers as the number of people watching TV overall fell 9% during the same period.

Durability has been a hallmark of “Wheel,” which on Jan. 6 marked 50 years since it premiered on NBC’s daytime lineup. The game, where contestants guess the letters of a mystery word or phrase, has been part of the TV landscape ever since, surviving huge changes that have splintered the mass audience.

But a major test for the popularity of any TV show is when the star is replaced. Sajak had hosted the syndicated version of “Wheel” since it launched in 1983 and became an evening ritual for millions of viewers. He decided to hang it up at the end of the 2023-24 season.

“It was a pivotal moment for us,” said Suzanne Prete, president of game shows for Sony. “It’s personal to the viewers. Pat is like a family member to them.”

Ryan Seacrest enters the “Wheel of Fortune” set arm in arm with co-host Vanna White, just as former host Pat Sajak always did.
(Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Sony executives know how disruptive change can be for an institution such as “Wheel.” After a public audition of potential successors for longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek in 2021, the company went with executive producer Mike Richards, who was not exactly a household name. The move angered fans, and a scandal over offensive remarks Richards had made on a podcast led him to quit before his episodes aired.

Seacrest is a well-known quantity. He holds down mornings on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, hosts “American Idol” and counts down the ball drop in Times Square for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” In 2023, he finished a successful six-year run as Kelly Ripa’s co-host on the daily talk show “Live.” He has largely steered clear of controversy, surviving a 2018 investigation of sexual harassment claims made by a former stylist who worked for him at E! (The network dropped the probe due to insufficient evidence.)

When Sony considered successors for “Wheel,” Seacrest was at the top of Prete’s wish list. “If I had the choice of anybody in the world, it would have been Ryan,” she said.