Daniel L. Cox
Editor, Poker Insider Magazine
July 20, 2008

29 Palms - A little over a year ago, with huge fanfare and media attention, The World Poker Tour ended its five year run with The Travel Channel to move to The Game Show Network. This time, there was limited promotion when they ended their contract with GSN after just one year. No reason was given for the end of the partnership. The WPT went into the $15,000 buy-in Bellagio Cup IV without a signed contract, but there was talk of a deal in the works.

Though final discussions were in the works with Fox SportsNet (FSN), it took until after the completion of the tournament for an annoucement to come forth. With 16 Regional networks, Fox SportsNet reaches over 80 million cable and satellite housholds in the United States. FSN is known for its innovative and star studded poker tournaments bringing top professionals together for exciting shows. Previous specials have been the Superstar Series and several FullTilt Specials. “FSN and [Fox] News Corporation are two incredible powerhouses in the television industry that have played key roles in the growth and popularity of televised poker,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President and CEO.“It couldn’t be a better fit for WPT and our fans.”

Though the tour is down to 14 Open Events, 26 episodes are scheduled for Season VII. Besides the opening two shows for the Bellagio Cup IV, it is expected that several specialty shows will be added during the course of the season, as in previous years. The broadcasts are scheduled for Sunday evenings, with multiple re-airings during the following week.

World Poker Tour Season Schedule