Southwest Airlines Named Official Airline of the World Poker Tour(R)
WPT Enterprises zu myNews hinzufügen Was ist das?
WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE) today announced that it has signed a
sponsorship deal with Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) for Season VI.
The Southwest Airlines brand will be prominently featured on the World
Poker Tour® (WPT) "runway”
and is now "the official airline of the WPT.”
Southwest Airlines will also sponsor the Season VI "Watch
& Win” sweepstakes during all-new WPT
episodes on GSN—Southwest will deliver
messages throughout each show prompting viewers to text in a code for
the chance to win a trip to watch the filming of a WPT final table and
free roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines. Through WPT’s
website, www.worldpokertour.com,
Southwest will also promote "Ding!”®,
a free downloadable computer application that sits on the desktop. Users
can customize their travel list by choosing up to 10 airports of their
choice, then receive audible alerts on deeply discounted pricing that is
not available anywhere other than through DING!
"As WPT is the premiere ‘tour’
on the poker circuit, Southwest is the ideal brand for us to align with,”
said Steve Lipscomb, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of
the WPT. "We look forward to initiating what
is sure to be a very exciting and innovative partnership.”
"Southwest Airlines sees this exciting new partnership as a way for
Customers to see our brand in an entirely new environment,”
said Lilah Steen, National Promotions Specialist for Southwest Airlines. "We
know the world is passionate about poker and we are so happy to be
associated with the premier brand for this sport."
The deal runs through Season VI, with both parties given the option to
renew in Season VII.
The WPT Season VI will begin airing in early 2008 as part of GSN’s
Monday night casino lineup where the network has built a substantial
following in the casino game genre. Season V currently airs every
Wednesday night on the Travel Channel at 9PM Eastern/Pacific.
Visit www.worldpokertour.com
for the most up-to-date information and tournament schedule.
About World Poker Tour
WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation
of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by
the development, production, and marketing of televised programming
based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour®,
a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments
that airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and is scheduled to
begin broadcasting on GSN in early 2008. WPT is licensed for broadcast
globally. WPTE also operates a real-money online gaming website, www.worldpokertour.com,
which prohibits wagers from players in the U.S. and other restricted
jurisdictions. WPTE currently licenses its brand to companies in the
business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing,
electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino
games, and giftware. The company is also engaged in the sale of
corporate sponsorships. For show information, tools for improving poker
play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com.
WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes
Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq:LACO). Photos and media information can be
found online at: www.worldpokertour.com/media About Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of
domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 63 cities in 32 states.
Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a
day and has more than 33,000 Employees nationwide.
WPTEG
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe
harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in
this press release (as well as information included in oral statements
or other written statements made or to be made by WPT Enterprises, Inc.)
contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements
relating to the expansion of WPTE's brand licensing, the development of
new television and film projects, the development of WPTE corporate
sponsors and other business development activities, as well as
statements regarding other capital spending, financing sources and the
effects of competition. Such forward-looking information involves
important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect
anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may
differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or
on behalf of WPTE. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, WPTE's significant dependence on the Travel Channel as a
current source of revenue and GSN as a future source of revenue, and the
risk that GSN will not exercise its options to air season of the WPT
series beyond Season VI; difficulty of predicting the growth of our
online gaming business, which is a relatively new industry with an
increasing number of market entrants; reliance on the efforts of
CryptoLogic to develop and maintain the online gaming website in
compliance with WPTE’s business model and
applicable gaming laws; the potential that our television programming
will fail to maintain a sufficient audience; the risk that competitors
with greater financial resources or marketplace presence might develop
television programming that would directly compete with WPTE's
television programming; the risk that WPTE may not be able to protect
its entertainment concepts, current and future brands and other
intellectual property rights; risks associated with future expansion
into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment of
WPTE's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and
WPTE's dependence on its senior management team. For more information,
review WPTE's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.