WSOP TV Decision Boosts Ratings

17.11.2008, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «WSOP TV Decision Boosts Ratings».

ESPN reports significant increase in viewership on final table screenings

Officials at Harrah's and television network ESPN will feel vindicated in their decision to postpone the World Series of Poker final table in order to increase television interest. This week ESPN released its screening ratings for the two hour telecast of the final table played last Tuesday.

The 2008 rating soared by 46 percent compared to that achieved for the 2007 final table, when Jerry Yang triumphed in the traditional non-stop climax to the whole WSOP series.

Translated into viewers, the rating means that 2.36 million viewers in 1.91 million households were glued to their television sets each "average minute." That represents increases of 53 percent and 52 percent respectively over the same period last year, when the numbers were 1.55 million viewers in 1.25 million households.

Last Sunday, the nine finalists again took their seats after a 117 day break, attracting large numbers of railbirds to the Rio to see who would survive to the final heads up. The two proved to be Ivan Demidov and Peter Eastgate (see previous Online- Casinos.com/InfoPowa reports), and they returned on Monday night to decide the final winner - Eastgate.

ESPN rapidly edited the final table footage, added in commentary from announcers Norman Chad and Lon McEachern, and aired the final episode on Tuesday night - a remarkable achievement that paid off with high ratings because viewer and media interest was still high.

ESPN reports that this year's WSOP television ratings overall were up on 2007, perhaps an indication of the continued interest in the game. Ratings for the full 32 episodes indicate that the series penetrated some 919 000 homes (2007: 815 000) and was seen by 1.13 million people (2007: 981 000).

ESPN spokesperson George McNeilly said: “We’re thrilled with the results and it’s a tribute to the leadership of Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and his team at the WSOP in growing poker into a spectator sport. If you saw the telecast or were there in person, then you know the crowd went wild for their favorite players. The balcony seating was a capacity crowd. All nine players were unheralded coming in and were not household names, so it speaks to the great drama that is televised poker.”

Über World Series of Poker (WSOP):

Die World Series of Poker, oder kurz WSOP, ist eine Reihe von Pokerturnieren, die jedes Jahr in Las Vegas ausgetragen werden.

Die World Series of Poker finden jährlich im Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas statt.

Die World Series of Poker ist die grösste und prestigeträchtigste Pokerveranstaltung der Welt. Mit einer umfassenden Liste von Turnieren in allen wichtigen Pokervarianten ist die WSOP das am längsten laufende Pokerturnier der Welt und geht auf das Jahr 1970 zurück.

Darüber hinaus hat die WSOP bahnbrechende Allianzen in den Bereichen Rundfunk, digitale Medien und Unternehmenssponsoring gebildet und die Marke mit der Einführung der WSOP Europe im Jahr 2007 und der WSOP Asia-Pacific im Jahr 2013 sowie der WSOP International Circuit Series im Jahr 2015 erfolgreich international ausgebaut.

Ursprünglich wurden die Tourniere in Las Vegas Downtown im Binion's Horseshoe Casino ausgetragen. Im Jahre 2005 kaufte Caesars den Brand WSOP. Seit diesem Datum werden die Pokermeisterschaften im Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino durchgeführt.

Gewinner der letzten Jahre des WSOP-Championship-Mainevent

2020: Damian Salas 2019: Hossein Ensan 2018: John Cynn 2017: Scott Blumstein 2016: Qui Nguyen 2015: Joe McKeehen 2014: Martin Jacobson 2013: Ryan Riess 2012: Greg Merson 2011: Pius Heinz 2010: Jonathan Duhamel 2009: Joe Cada 2008: Peter Eastgate 2007: Jerry Yang 2006: Jamie Gold 2005: Joe Hachem 2004: Greg "Fossil Man" Raymer 2003: Chris Moneymaker 2002: Robert Varkonyi 2001: Carlos Mortensen 2000: Chris "Jesus" Ferguson 1999: J.J. "Noel" Furlong 1998: Scotty Nguyen 1997: Stu Ungar 1996: Huck Seed 1995: Dan Harrington 1994: Russ Hamilton 1993: Jim Bechtel 1992: Hamid Dastmalchi 1991: Brad Daugherty 1990: Mansour Matloubi 1989: Phil Hellmuth Jr. 1988: Johnny Chan 1987: Johnny Chan 1986: Berry Johnston 1985: Bill Smith 1984: Jack Keller 1983: Tom McEvoy 1982: Jack Strauss 1981: Stu Ungar 1980: Stu Ungar 1979: Hal Fowler 1978: Bobby Baldwin 1977: Doyle Brunson 1976: Doyle Brunson 1975: Sailor Roberts 1974: Johnny Moss 1973: Puggy Pearson 1972: Amarillo Slim Preston 1971: Johnny Moss 1970: Johnny Moss

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