World Sequence of Poker protection is returning to the mainstream this 12 months. ESPN and the WSOP introduced an settlement that may carry poker again to the sports activities community for the primary time since 2000.
“We’re proud to welcome the World Sequence of Poker again to ESPN,” stated Ashley O’Connor, Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN. “Poker is stuffed with surprising storylines, and no one is healthier outfitted to showcase the tales that unfold all through a event greater than ESPN. Bringing the WSOP again displays our continued dedication to delivering premium competitors and that connects with followers in new and thrilling methods.”
The announcement additionally ended hypothesis about how lengthy the ultimate 9 gamers of the Essential Occasion must wait till concluding the event. The reply is 20 days.
When the WSOP dropped its schedule a couple of weeks in the past, it gave an enormous trace that the ultimate desk will likely be delayed for broadcast. WSOP and ESPN did this from 2008-2016, delaying the ultimate desk a whopping 4 months so ESPN may present the ultimate palms of the Essential Occasion because the grand finale of its poker package deal.
The Essential Occasion begins July 2, and can run till the ultimate 9 gamers are decided July 13. It should then pause till Monday, Aug. 3, the place will probably be broadcast on a slight delay for 3 consequetive nights. In accordance with the WSOP, broadcast of the WSOP additionally begins on July 2.
Promised is greater than 100 hours of Essential Occasion protection. Throughout the 20-day break, “ESPN will air specifically curated prime-time episodes to construct momentum and introduce the ultimate desk rivals to a world viewers,” in keeping with the press launch.
The total broadcast schedule has not but been launched, however protection will transcend the Essential Occasion.
This deal ends a five-year partnership with PokerGO and CBS, whose contract with the WSOP ends in Might. ESPN will use Omaha Productions, Peyton and Eli Manning’s firm that produces sports activities documentaries for Netflix, NFL content material on YouTube, and the weekly Monday Night time Soccer Manningcast.
The Walt Disney Firm owns each ESPN and ABC, so there’s a chance that a few of WSOP poker will find yourself on there.
“The World Sequence of Poker is a world phenomenon that transcends the gaming class, and our purpose is to carry it to the widest potential viewers,” stated Ty Stewart, CEO of the WSOP. “Returning to ESPN – the house of our most iconic moments since 1987 – permits us to showcase the human drama of the Essential Occasion like by no means earlier than. With our new possession’s dedication to development, that is the right time to carry the ‘World Championship’ again to the most important stage in sports activities.”
ESPN first coated the WSOP in 1978. It hit its stride within the lates 90s into the 2000s, and performed an enormous half within the explosion of poker throughout that point.
2026 WSOP Essential Occasion Schedule
