i would have thought for sure that NBC would have aquired these rights too.
Harrah's has signed a deal with broadcaster ESPN to extend coverage of the World Series of Poker through 2010. Part of the deal calls for the final table to be broadcast on a pay-per-view basis and it is expected viewers will be able to see the last nine players play on a real-time basis at a charge of between $25 and $30. Highlights of the final table and the rest of the two month poker extraveganza will be shown on ESPN throughout the Fall.
Harrah's, who bought the World Series of Poker brand from the Binion family two years ago, has also signed a sponsorship deal with Miller Brewing Co to promote Milwaukee's Best Light as the presenting sponsor and official beer of the poker tournament . That deal will last until at least 2008.
The introduction of a title sponsor and pay-per-view for the World Series of Poker is likely to lead to pressure on Harrah's to add additional prize money to the pool that players are competing for. At the moment Harrah's does not contribute anything to the prize pool and takes a cut of between 6% and 10% of the total entry fees. Professional players have already suggested that Harrah's is making a fortune at their expense and there is pressure from some of the players' representative bodies to find a way for players to benefit from the corporatization of the biggest event in the world poker calendar.
One senior professional player told Vegas Insider: "We do not know the exact commercial terms but it looks like Harrah's will make between $5 and $8 million profit from the main event, and that's before you take into account the hotel rooms they will sell and the exhibition space next to the tournament area. Poker is the only event in the world where the players contribute their time and money for absolutely nothing and the organizer of the event takes all the profit. There is a growing feeling that the players' role in this needs to be recognized."
Harrah's, who bought the World Series of Poker brand from the Binion family two years ago, has also signed a sponsorship deal with Miller Brewing Co to promote Milwaukee's Best Light as the presenting sponsor and official beer of the poker tournament . That deal will last until at least 2008.
The introduction of a title sponsor and pay-per-view for the World Series of Poker is likely to lead to pressure on Harrah's to add additional prize money to the pool that players are competing for. At the moment Harrah's does not contribute anything to the prize pool and takes a cut of between 6% and 10% of the total entry fees. Professional players have already suggested that Harrah's is making a fortune at their expense and there is pressure from some of the players' representative bodies to find a way for players to benefit from the corporatization of the biggest event in the world poker calendar.
One senior professional player told Vegas Insider: "We do not know the exact commercial terms but it looks like Harrah's will make between $5 and $8 million profit from the main event, and that's before you take into account the hotel rooms they will sell and the exhibition space next to the tournament area. Poker is the only event in the world where the players contribute their time and money for absolutely nothing and the organizer of the event takes all the profit. There is a growing feeling that the players' role in this needs to be recognized."
