FSN to Air Next Three WPT Seasons

The World Poker Tour has signed a new three-year deal with Fox Sports Net, which should guarantee more consistent coverage of the WPT season for poker fans.

The first season of the new deal, Season Nine, will begin airing in January. New seasons of World Poker Tour coverage will feature coverage of the earlier portions of WPT events, much like ESPN’s Main Event coverage of the World Series of Poker, in which many “featured” tables are shown throughout the various days of play.

Perhaps more significant is the addition of a set time slot for WPT events each week. For all three seasons of the new deal, the World Poker Tour will air on FSN at 8 pm and 11 pm each Sunday night. Sporadic reruns will also be aired during the week. Other changes include the addition of a dedicated (yet to be named) analyst to the broadcasts in a segment called “The Raw Deal,” as well as the inclusion of Kimberly Lansing as a new anchor. However, Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten will reprise their roles as play-by-play commentators.

The World Poker Tour has made a couple of moves during its time on television, though it seems to have found a fairly stable home with FSN. The first five seasons were televised on the Travel Channel, while Season Six moved to the Game Show Network. FSN has aired the WPT even since Season Seven.

FSN’s Vice President David Sussin expressed excitement about the new agreement.

“WPT is one of the most respected brands in poker and will only grow stronger with the tremendous innovations they are bringing to the show in the new season,” he said. “Our network has long been a showcase for the best poker on television, and we are very happy WPT will continue that tradition.”

The World Poker Tour has made several announcements as of late. Perhaps the most notable was the addition of an event that will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, a move that became possible due to the loosening of restrictions on poker in the state earlier this summer.