ESPN Enhances WSOP Coverage

[MicroBob]

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Exactly.

Norman Chad uses an "acerbic" style (a la MSNBC's Keith Olbermann), taking "smart a--" shots at players who deserve to be shot at for the way they look (i.e. unshaven players), the way they dress, or the way they conduct themselves (i.e. rule or etiquette violations at the table.)

ESPN is going after 1.0-1.5 million U.S. TV viewers per show, not 350,000 viewers per show (i.e. GSN's High Stakes Poker). Some of you guys who want every show to look and sound like HSP will disagree with the way ESPN does the WSOP and will disagree with me, but I understand your point of view.

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Kaplan is probably more acerbic than Chad albeit more deadpan.

You know perfectly well that the reason WSOP has more viewers than HSP is not because of the difference in the announcing styles.

My hunch is that the WSOP would continue to draw similar viewership if they had Chris Rose or Matt Vasgersian or AJ Benza or Mike Sexton or Conroy teamed up with Konig, Kaplan, VPP or Lederer or Seif.

And that HSN would have similar sized viewership if they had Lon and Norm doing the show.

Total guess on my part and maybe the announcers make a bigger difference to the ratings than I think.