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WPT and Full Tilt Poker Announce TV Sponsorship Deal

by , Nov 6, 2008 | 12:59 pm

Comments (16)

After some speculation amongst poker insiders between Dan and Pauly, it seems that the bigwigs at the World Poker Tour and Full Tilt Poker were talking….just not about a buy-out. The agreement has been signed and announced to give FullTiltPoker.net the title of “exclusive educational poker sponsor” for all WPT Season 7 episodes to air on Fox Sports Net someday.

To add a little more speculation to the mix, this contractual friendship between WPT and FTP could lead to bigger and better things should the WPT Enterprises end up going private in the next few months. With the WPT having officially dropped any hopes of running its own online gaming site, with the exception of ClubWPT (that inside sources tell me is not doing well), the company could very well be entertaining the idea of partnering in a bigger way with Full Tilt in the future. Speculation only at this point…

For now, here is today’s press release:

FullTiltPoker.net is Exclusive Educational Poker Sponsor for WPT Season VII Episodes Airing on Fox Sports Net and in Mexico

LOS ANGELES, Nov 06, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — World Poker Tour(R) creator WPT Enterprises (Nasdaq:WPTE) and FullTiltPoker.net(TM) today announced a television sponsorship deal, aligning the leading powerhouses in televised and online poker. The deal–which is based on a unique sponsorship model for the sports and entertainment television industry–further boosts WPTE’s growing sponsorship business.

Under the agreement, FullTiltPoker.net(TM) receives title sponsorship and exclusive rights to in-show educational gaming brand integration for the 26 all-new WPT Season VII episodes scheduled to air on Fox Sports Net in the United States, as well as Season VII episodes that air in Mexico.

“We are delighted to be in partnership with FullTiltPoker.net(TM) and bring together two very strong brands with proven global reach and a loyal network of poker fans,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPTE founder, president and CEO. “With WPT’s incredible brand value and TV distribution through FSN coupled with FullTiltPoker.net’s massive online following, this partnership opens more channels to reach new fans and continue feeding the appetite for new poker content.”

FullTiltPoker.net(TM) is one of the leading online poker instruction sites, featuring Team Full Tilt – 13 world-renowned poker pros. Team Full Tilt is a select group of the world’s finest professional poker players, including Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, Allen Cunningham, and Patrik Antonius who have collectively won 10 WPT titles, 35 World Series of Poker bracelets and more than $80 million in career earnings. FullTiltPoker.net(TM) offers players the unique opportunity to Learn, Chat and Play with the best poker pros in the game.


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16 Comments to “WPT and Full Tilt Poker Announce TV Sponsorship Deal”


  1. DanM     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 1:44pm

    ***Exclusive Educational Sponsor***

    Interesting choice of words.


  2. Kevin Mathers     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 1:50pm

    Dan,

    Do you see how the PR mentions 13 members of Team Full Tilt, when there’s 14 members of Team Full Tilt on their home page?


  3. Kevin Mathers     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 1:50pm

    Well that’s how you get around not being able to advertise, setup a .net site and claim it’s “educational” or a “poker school”.


  4. California Jen     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 1:53pm

    Kevin, ever since the summer at the WSOP when Patrik Antonius got signed to FTP, Clonie’s name has been missing from all press releases that the site has issued.

    https://pokerati.com/2008/06/03/full-tilt-pros-add-one-overlook-another/


  5. DanM     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 2:07pm

    Clonie is definitely gone as a member of Team Full Tilt (she still retains a belligerent sliver of ownership, from what I understand) … as is Phil Gordon, seemingly.

    As to the “educational” value of dot-net … I hear what you’re saying, but for them to title the sponsorship as such, there’s something else in play here.

    I’m not sure what. But something’s up.


  6. DanM     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 2:08pm

    Oops, never mind. Phil Gordon is still on the list. I’ve just noticed him missing from final tables/commercials lately.


  7. DanM     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 2:12pm

    ***the bigwigs at the World Poker Tour and Full Tilt Poker were talking….just not about a buy-out***

    Though Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson probably have enough cash in their pockets to buy the WPT, I don’t think they technically can (yet) … because in the eyes of the USA, Full Tilt is hardly a real business.


  8. Kevin Mathers     says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 3:24pm

    Jen,

    Correct, but you’d think FTP would correct that on their website, as she’s still on fulltiltpoker.com as a Team FT pro. She’s said she’s still with them, but these rumors will continue until there’s something real definite.


  9. bluffdiver     says:
    November 7th, 2008 at 5:23pm

    Why would anyone say that Club WPT is not going well, when they just experienced 100% seqential growth in subscribers between Q2 and Q3? I think you need some new “sources”.


  10. DanM     says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 1:11pm

    So really … does anyone think Full Tilt basically bought the WPT here and saved them?


  11. bluffdiver     says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 2:30pm

    >> So really … does anyone think Full Tilt basically bought the WPT here and saved them?

    I definitely wouldn’t say they “bought” them. Of course, FullTilt doesn’t want anything to do with U.S. assets given their operating status in the U.S. and the the risk of having those assets seized by the govt. However, this certainly was an important deal for WPTE given that they no longer receive any licensing fees for distribution of the WPT in the U.S.


  12. California Jen     says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 4:42pm

    ***Why would anyone say that Club WPT is not going well, when they just experienced 100% seqential growth in subscribers between Q2 and Q3? I think you need some new “sources”.***

    Maybe ClubWPT did have two positive quarters, but something is clearly awry when the bigwigs at the company ask their employees to request sign-ups from their friends and family members. My sources are good.


  13. Kevin Mathers     says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 6:39pm

    Did they offer bonus codes too? I’m sure this added ones of additional subscribers.


  14. DanM     says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 7:31pm

    From what I heard, there were bonus codes! It wasn’t just ask all your friends and family to sign up for ClubWPT, it was also be sure to heave them enter their employee friend or family member’s name in the bonus code box!


  15. bluffdiver     says:
    November 9th, 2008 at 8:21am

    >> Maybe ClubWPT did have two positive quarters, but something is clearly awry when the bigwigs at the company ask their employees to request sign-ups from their friends and family members. My sources are good.

    First, why WOULDN’T they ask their friends and familiy members to sign up? They’re trying to grow this site and viral marketing is a big part of it. To suggest that this is in some way indicative of the site “not doing well” is laughable. Secondly, why don’t you actually try listening to the conf call and getting the statistical information directly from the CEO instead of relying on your “sources”. Or, heaven forbid, you were to actually download the software and track the user growth yourself. I’ve done both of these, and can assure you that the site is growing at a very rapid rate.

    >> From what I heard, there were bonus codes! It wasn’t just ask all your friends and family to sign up for ClubWPT, it was also be sure to heave them enter their employee friend or family member’s name in the bonus code box!

    Club WPT has run the same sign-up promotion since the site launched – two free trial weeks and $20 for all referrals that become paying members. If they were making referrals, then why WOULDN’T they put they have them use their name? You people are just bashing for the sake of bashing without even making any sense.


  16. DanM     says:
    November 9th, 2008 at 8:23am

    Who’s bashing? I’m not bashing. (I drank the Kool-Aid, but not the Hatorade.)