WPT moves to GSN

[DRRPoker]

Just announced by WPT. Sounds like a good move, as the Travel Channel relationship has been rocky for years.

[DRRPoker]

Here's the WPT announcement from the SEC. WPT refers to itself as "the Company":

On April 2, 2007, the Company entered into an agreement (the “GSN Agreement”) with Game Show Network, LLC (“GSN”), pursuant to which GSN agreed to license from the Company the sixth season of the Show.

The GSN Agreement provides for the payment of a $300,000 licensing fee per episode by GSN to the Company. The parties agreed that each season of the Show will total twenty-three (23) episodes. The per episode fee increases by 5% in each future season of the Show in the event GSN exercises its options for future seasons as described below. Furthermore, the Company would be entitled to a bonus fee per episode of between $20,000 and $35,000, payable after the end of each season, in the event the average Nielsen ratings of all of the premiere episodes in a season exceed certain agreed-upon levels. In addition to the sixth season of the Show, GSN has two (2) consecutive, dependent, exclusive options for the seventh and eighth seasons of the Show. If GSN exercises each of those options, the GSN Agreement allows GSN to have an exclusive right of first negotiation and last refusal with the Company, for a limited period of time with respect to the ninth season of the Show.

As is customary in most production agreements with television networks, GSN retains the right to approve all material creative elements of the Show.

GSN retains an exclusive right to broadcast episodes of English versions of the Show (or any other WPT-branded poker programming) for an unlimited number of times during the applicable license period solely on the GSN network in the United States, and a non-exclusive right to broadcast English versions of the Show in Canada and in the island countries and territories of the Caribbean (the “Territory”). In addition, GSN has the right in the Territory to exploit the Show for video-on-demand services in certain specified media; provided that revenue derived by GSN from video-on-demand services will be split equally between the parties (after GSN’s deduction of certain costs). The Company retains the right to exploit the Show anywhere in the world (including the Territory) with respect to non-English versions of the Show or English or non-English versions of the Show in any medium other than the GSN television network and video-on-demand. Furthermore, the Company may exploit non-WPT branded poker programming (such as the Professional Poker Tour™) without any restrictions under the GSN Agreement. The Company cannot exploit any versions of the Show in the Territory until three (3) months after each applicable episode has aired on the GSN network (with limited exceptions for use on the Company’s website, or certain other types of media).

With respect to promotional rights, GSN has committed to spend at least $3,000,000 in marketing costs for each season of the Show licensed by it. GSN has the right to promote and advertise the Show in any and all media during the license term. Any sponsorship or in-show advertising of the Show is subject to the mutual approval of the parties. The GSN Agreement also provides GSN with rights to shoot “behind the scenes” footage of the Show and to exhibit the footage on its website (subject to certain time restrictions on the length of such clips). The Company and GSN have the right to use clips from the Show in any media for promotional purposes (also subject to certain clip length restrictions).

[EricOF]

I hope they change the production. I always hated putting a table in the middle of a loud audience and shining strobe lights in the players faces. If a poker show ever needed that garbage it doesn't need it now.

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope they change the production. I always hated putting a table in the middle of a loud audience and shining strobe lights in the players faces. If a poker show ever needed that garbage it doesn't need it now.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget those ludicrous globe-cams on the table, two black lumps making it difficult for the dealer to rake in chips and for players to find a path to muck their cards.

[The_Taj]

all i can say is YES!!!

since moving to college i haven't gotten the travel channel for months, but i do get GSN. Even though i have never really enjoyed the WPT and the all-in fests, I really hope GSN will calm it down a bit and give it more of an atmosphere like High Stakes Poker. I agree the strobe lights and audience are a desperate attempt to make it more appealing to the casual viewer, but man that must be annoying cirumstances to play under.

[1p0kerboy]

I don't get GSN but I do get the travel channel.

[hollaballa]

This should probably be worded "Travel Channel has no interest in continuing to air the WPT".

TC did not exercise their option to keep doing business with WPT.

I haven't gotten the final numbers yet, but this deal is not going to be near as good as what WPT has gotten in the past.

WPTE basically sucks IMO. Until they change the FT structure to where its a poker tournament and not some made for TV all in fest, I'm not interested in watching it.

[BenTurpen]

I know they were on the table last night, but were those globe cameras ever even used? I know they had some shots from the hole card cams. Those globe things are WORTHLESS.

But really, just because of a network change, is there really that much of a chance that anything will get changed? Probably not.

[Poker Face]

They also used the globe cameras on the PPT way too much. You could tell when they were using them because you could almost see up the player's nostrils and the picture was less colorful.

I believe the WPT globe cams gave a better picture than the PPT ones, but that could be just because the Citytv channel I watch the WPT on, has fewer digital tiling picture problems.

[UATrewqaz]

Those globe cameras int he middle of the table are ridiculous and pretty much universally hated.

They get in the way of the cards/chips, slowing the game down or just making it more of a pain.

They are horrible eye sores.

And at the end of the day they don't provide very good shots.

Also, don't freaking tell me that's the best they could do, size wise. The technology to get a much smaller, less obvious camera in the table exists. Surely the extra cost (it's not in THAT many tables) is worth it.