FSN, the leader in televised poker, and World Poker Tour, the
pre-eminent poker sports brand, have joined forces to launch another
first for poker programming –
ClubWPT.com
– a new series debuting in its regular
timeslot Sunday, October 5 at 4:00 PM
local with an 11:00 PM local
encore.
Based on WPT’s online subscription and
sweepstakes-based poker and blackjack offering, www.ClubWPT.com,
the ClubWPT.com TV show features six amateur players from
around the US and Canada competing each week for their shot at cash
prizes and poker stardom. But, rather than putting up large buy-ins and
playing in gruelling multi-day tournaments against seasoned pros,
players earn their seat on the show by playing in specially-designated "TV
tournaments” on www.ClubWPT.com.
TV-seat tournaments run six nights per week at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST,
giving members virtually unlimited opportunities to win their way onto
the ClubWPT.com TV show.
"Poker is the only sport that allows the
everyday Joe to go up against the professionals and win life-changing
money and celebrity status,” said Steve
Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President and CEO. "And
we all want to be in that seat, but most of us don’t
have the opportunity to invest the time or money to be a pro and play in
big casinos games. ClubWPT.com gives you the opportunity—six
nights a week, in your own home—to win a seat
on national television and the chance to live the dream.”
As part of the ClubWPT.com TV experience, qualifiers
receive roundtrip airfare to Los Angeles on Southwest Airlines, the
official airline of World Poker Tour, a two-night stay at the luxurious
Four Seasons Hotel West Lake Village, spending cash and a full slate of
VIP amenities. The TV series is filmed in high definition in the
state-of-the-art ClubWPT.com lounge. Well-known FSN
sportscaster Barry Tompkins and "Live at the
Bike” announcer Bart Hansen will provide
commentary and strategy alongside accomplished TV hostess, Alison Waite.
"The World Poker Tour, the most respected
brand name in poker, has long been the leader in poker innovation and
they continue that trend with this series,”
said George Greenberg, FSN Executive Vice President Programming and
Production. "ClubWPT.com is the
premier place offering amateur poker players the opportunity to
experience the status and cachet usually reserved for the biggest names
in poker.”
In addition to the chance to play on national television, www.ClubWPT.com
members can play 24 hours per day in over 5,000 tournaments each month
that award more than $100,000 in cash and prizes, including $20,000
prize pools, $10,000 WPT main event seats, WPT Boot Camp™
seats, WPT Cruises and more. www.ClubWPT.com
members also receive VIP benefits including poker content, tips from the
pros and exclusive Las Vegas discounts.
No purchase is necessary for the ClubWPT.com sweepstakes and the service
is void in states where prohibited. To get details on how to join, for
information on alternative means of entry or to get a two-week free
trial, visit www.ClubWPT.com.
FSN is also the home for all-new World Poker Tour Season VII episodes,
which will premiere later this year, airing in the FSN Sunday Night
Sports Block.
FSN is the nation’s leading provider
of local sports. FSN’s 16 owned-and-operated
regional networks and its affiliated networks reach more than 80 million
homes across the U.S. FSN serves as the TV home to nearly two-thirds of
all MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States. FSN also produces
close to 5,000 live local events each year, including more than 1,600 in
high definition. In addition to its thousands of home team games and a
wide variety of locally produced sports programs, FSN televises national
sports events and programs, including Pac-10 and ACC basketball and
Pac-10 and Big 12 football.
ABOUT WPTE
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 has been licensed for broadcast globally. WPT Season VI airs Monday
nights at 9pm ET/PT on GSN in the United States, and WPT Season VII will
air on FSN in 2009. WPTE also offers real-money online gaming on its
website, www.worldpokertour.com,
which prohibits wagers from players in the U.S. and certain other
restricted territories. WPTE also has operations in mainland China,
pursuant to an agreement with the China Leisure Sports Administrative
Center where WPTE is developing and marketing the WPT China National
Traktor Poker Tour. In January 2008, the company launched ClubWPT.com,
an innovative subscription-based online poker club targeted to the
estimated 60 million poker players in the United States and is currently
offered in 38 States. 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.
WPTE is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc.
(Nasdaq: LACO).
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, the risk that WPTE may not obtain sufficient sponsorship
revenues for Season VII programming of the WPT; 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.