ESPN to Throw a Mix in to World Series of Poker 2009
May 15, 2009
Huge american sports television network ESPN, who usually cover the World Series of Poker tournaments, have announced that this year will have a new setting when viewers tune in to watch one of the biggest poker tournaments today.
With the network recording increasing viewer numbers over the last 2 years, the network have decided that they are going to change how they show the tournament on their channel in aid of the tournaments 40th year of running.
Doug White, senior director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, told meadia sources
You’re going to be seeing a little bit of a different dynamic in overall programming structure for 2009.
With the World Series of Poker 2008 offering ESPN action to fill 31 shows, the viewing figures jumped to 1,126,000, a year on year increase from 2007′s tournament, with numbers increasing by 15 percent last year.
White told sources
We feel that the main event is what viewers are looking for.
With that been the general opinion of bosses at ESPN, the network have announced that this years main event will be televised 24 hours a day until the tournament is won.
This is set to alert new viewers of the networks sport channel, with the popularity of poker constantly raising by the day.
With the tournament offering no less than 54 WSOP gold bracelets to the players within the tournaments schedule, participation figures are strongly tipped to exceed numbers within the previous tournaments in past years.
The excitement has already started surrounding the latest World Series of Poker, with online poker sites increasing the amount of places they are looking to offer their members in a bid to secure more loyal players.
With last years final table been placed after a break in play, working out well for both the players and the WSOP brand, the same will happen again this year.
This means that the final table will be played in November, with the tournament starting May 26th.
This year the ESPN network have announced that they will be doing 25 one-hour shows covering the tournament, with a double coverage [2 hours] been also offered within that period.
With the tournament offering a few changes to pay tribute to their 40th year, WSOP have announced that they are to place more of a spotlight on the winning of the prize bracelets, saying
The WSOP gold bracelet is poker’s crown jewel.
This year, in the tradition of the Olympics, we’ll have a bracelet ceremony on the floor of the Amazon Ballroom inside the Rio every day at 2 p.m
With the tournament trying to place a celebratary feel to this years tournament, they had placed the players code of conduct into the offical tournament rules, saying that they would be keeping logs on all cautions and warnings that are handed out to the players.
Jeffery Pollock, WSOP commissioner said
We want to better ensure that the tournament floor is a civil, courteous and comfortable environment for all players.
With the gauntlet laid down for all players involved, this should turn out to be a very interesting tournament indeed.
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