Travel Channel to dump WPT?

[Pokerfann]

Rumors are flying that Travel Channel is about to dump the WPT due to bad ratings (and even badder blood)--- where will it end up???? Any Guesses???
Doubt ESPN would want it..may have no where else to go but GSN....

[gaboonviper]

I covered this in NVG a few days ago. The deadline for a WPT/Travel Channel decision on season 6 was Monday. Since we have still heard nothing that is not good. If WPT loses Travel Channel they are just about DONE.

[Jeff311420]

[ QUOTE ]
I covered this in NVG a few days ago. The deadline for a WPT/Travel Channel decision on season 6 was Monday. Since we have still heard nothing that is not good. If WPT loses Travel Channel they are just about DONE.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it is let go from Travel, look for USA to take a serious look at it as they have lost almost all their 18-35 Male demo outside of WWE. Could be even better for WPT as USA is a basic cable channel unlike Travel.

[MrFizzbin]

There are a lot of possible homes for WPT the problem is Steve Lipscumbags over valuing his product to the point where no one wants to pay the price for his product. I would imagine Scumbag checked out the landscape before entering the negotiations with Travel Channel and if he had other suiters he'd have used it.

Stevie wants to be the Bill Gates of poker but his ego driven over-evaluation of shove in poker will doom his corporation or his share holders will revolt and force him out.

[Temp Hutter]

GSN it is.

[stephenNUTS]

"Stevie wants to be the Bill Gates of poker but his ego driven over-evaluation of shove in poker will doom his corporation or his share holders will revolt and force him out"

LOL Thats really what the WPT has come down to:
Shove-in Poker!

Its not even poker anymore as the Big Stack just "might" have 10 BB's on many of these shows.Its really not entertaing at all,as HSP on GSN blows it aways with regard to television poker these days IMHO,and that has room for improvement as well.

~sf

[PleaseSignal]

[ QUOTE ]
"Stevie wants to be the Bill Gates of poker but his ego driven over-evaluation of shove in poker will doom his corporation or his share holders will revolt and force him out"

LOL Thats really what the WPT has come down to:
Shove-in Poker!

Its not even poker anymore as the Big Stack just "might" have 10 BB's on many of these shows.Its really not entertaing at all,as HSP on GSN blows it aways with regard to television poker these days IMHO,and that has room for improvement as well.

~sf

[/ QUOTE ]

ya but that's basicly what most people want, all-in showdowns... for people who actualy play/love poker I agree it gets old

[stephenNUTS]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Stevie wants to be the Bill Gates of poker but his ego driven over-evaluation of shove in poker will doom his corporation or his share holders will revolt and force him out"

LOL Thats really what the WPT has come down to:
Shove-in Poker!

Its not even poker anymore as the Big Stack just "might" have 10 BB's on many of these shows.Its really not entertaing at all,as HSP on GSN blows it aways with regard to television poker these days IMHO,and that has room for improvement as well.

~sf

[/ QUOTE ]

ya but that's basicly what most people want, all-in showdowns... for people who actualy play/love poker I agree it gets old

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats the point...as the all-in shove fest that seemed to ignite the show,is now the going to ironically be the demise of the show!

[olivert]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I covered this in NVG a few days ago. The deadline for a WPT/Travel Channel decision on season 6 was Monday. Since we have still heard nothing that is not good. If WPT loses Travel Channel they are just about DONE.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it is let go from Travel, look for USA to take a serious look at it as they have lost almost all their 18-35 Male demo outside of WWE. Could be even better for WPT as USA is a basic cable channel unlike Travel.

[/ QUOTE ]

USA Network, now part of NBC Universal Cable, was the self-proclaimed #1 cable TV network last TV season.

Furthermore, USA Network was one of the first to climb aboard the new trend in sports entertainment TV when it signed Major League Gaming (MLG), one of the 3 "professional" video game tournament TV series to hit the U.S. TV market in the past 12 months (the others are EA Sports on ESPN/ESPN2 and World Series of Video Games on CSTV.)

At this point, NBC Universal Cable has all the poker it needs, with re-runs of NBC Heads-Up airing on CNBC.

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In any case, the new deal for WPT Season 6 is done with GSN, for $300,000 per episode (down from about $500,000 per episode Travel Channel currently pays).

In this tight market for TV poker in the US, ANY rights fee is better than no rights fee.

One would expect WPT to be the highest-rated product on GSN in 2008.

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Don't lose sight of the big picture with WPTE: the "real money" to be made by WPTE will be made with WPTOnline.com, if and when WPTE is able to secure government-granted MONOPOLY licenses in juristictions in EAST and SOUTHEAST ASIA.

Philippines, South Korea, and Hong Kong would be the 3 logical targets for WPTE to start with, with mainland China being the ultimate prize eventually.

The Philippines, where WPTE already has a deal with ABS-CBN which involves giving the PAGCOR government monopoly its cut, is a template for other deals.

If and when WPTE gets into Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will have to be given a significant cut. The HKJC, being the government-granted monopoly, can pick and choose its poker partner based on whoever is willing to pay the HKJC the most money.

Also note that WPTOnline.com has set up shop in Israel, a country which recently kicked out all offshore online gaming outfits, particularly Victor Chandler. WPTOnline.com has both its software development and customer service centers in Israel.

[mhcmarty]

Drink!!!