A new multi-year agreement between the World Poker Tour (WPT) and CBS Sports has made the network the official television host of WPT debut programs. With the thrilling coverage of Season XXI in November, this deal officially begins.
Since its debut in 2002, when it was first aired on the Travel Channel, WPT has significantly expanded its television presence. The partnership with CBS Sports marks another milestone in this journey. “Since our debut on the Travel Channel back in 2002, our WPT television presence has grown significantly in both production quality and reach,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “We are incredibly grateful to partner with a top-tier network and cannot wait to share a wealth of premium poker programming to the vast CBS Sports audience.”
The 2023 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship is one of the first shows to air on CBS. Additionally, as part of this deal, CBS Sports will air every episode of WPT Seasons XXII and XXIII, which include the 2019 ClubWPT Gold $5 Million Invitational Freeroll and the 2023 WPT World Championship.
CBS Sports Expands Poker Coverage
CBS Sports has been ramping up its poker coverage in recent years. It began by adding World Series of Poker and PokerGO broadcasts in 2021, and now the WPT joins this prestigious poker portfolio. “CBS Sports Network is the ideal partner to elevate WPT TV and expand its reach to new households around the nation,” said Loc Sondheim, WPT Vice President of Studios, Distribution, and Ad Sales. “It’s an honor to bring the excitement of poker to a network that showcases some of the biggest events in sports.”
The WPT’s debut on CBS Sports Network is scheduled for November 14. The deal further solidifies the WPT’s commitment to bringing premium poker content to a broader audience. Check out the timeline for some of WPT’s media coverage,
- 2002 – The tour debuts on the Travel Channel and becomes the network’s highest-rated show at the time. The network aired the tour’s first five seasons.
- 2004 – A WPT special “Battle of Champions” tournament airs on NBC opposite CBS’s coverage of the Super Bowl pregame show.
- 2006 The WPT airs on Game Show Network (GSN) for one season.
- 2008 – The tour signs a deal with Fox Sports Net (FSN) to air 26 episode of the television show.
- 2009 – After the company is acquired by PartyGaming, episodes begin airing in Europe making use of the PartyPoker brand.
- 2014 – The company launches the WPT Alpha8 high roller series, which is shown on Fox Sports 1.
- 2015 – Free streaming service Pluto TV adds a 24/7 WPT channel. The tour also streams live final tables from various events as well on YouTube.
- 2016 – The tour again signs a five-year deal with Fox Sports regional networks (later to be known as Bally Sports).
- 2019 – A new deal is announced with BT Sport to show tour events in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- 2019 – Another international deal is announced with TV Azteca to bring the tour to a Spanish language audience in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
- 2019 – The WatchWPT app is unveiled, allowing poker fans to view an archive of 150-plus episodes.
- 2021 – A new deal is struck with Samsung TV Plus for the show to reach viewers in United Kingdom, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- 2024 – An new agreement is announced with CBS Sports Network in the U.S.
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