BREAKING: The WSOP Main Event is BACK on ESPN

For the primary time since 2020, the World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) Most important Occasion is returning to ESPN.

The WSOP at present confirmed a historic multi-year settlement with the the community, which broadcast poker’s most prestigious event from 1988-2020.

The announcement places an finish to weeks of hypothesis following the discharge of the 2026 WSOP schedule, which hinted at a serious shake-up to the event construction.

“The World Sequence of Poker is a worldwide phenomenon that transcends the gaming class, and our aim is to deliver it to the widest attainable viewers,” mentioned WSOP CEO Ty Stewart.

“Returning to ESPN – the house of our most iconic moments since 1978 – permits us to showcase the human drama of the Most important Occasion like by no means earlier than. With our new possession’s dedication to progress, that is the right time to deliver the ‘World Championship’ again to the largest stage in sports activities.”

Mark Your Calendars: August 3

Whereas the poker neighborhood debated whether or not we’d see a return of the total ‘November 9’ format, the WSOP has settled on a center floor: a 20-day “cliffhanger” break.

As soon as the ultimate desk is ready on July 13, play will pause. Throughout this 20-day hole, ESPN will air what it is calling “specifically curated prime-time episodes” to construct momentum forward of the ultimate desk.

Whereas it is unclear what number of episodes it will entail, the three-week break will undoubtedly construct the profiles of the ultimate 9 gamers and improve anticipation among the many poker neighborhood.

The finale will then broadcast reside over three nights from August 3-5 (9 p.m.–12 a.m. EST). That is sooner or later longer than the 2025 WSOP Most important Occasion remaining desk, which performed out over two days and was gained by Michael Mizrachi for $10,000,000.

2026 WSOP Most important Occasion Schedule

Followers can anticipate “wall-to-wall” protection beginning on Day 1a, July 2. The settlement ensures a minimal of six hours of programming for each event day, totalling roughly 100 hours of unique content material per yr throughout ESPN platforms.

The Non secular Residence of Poker

The World Sequence of Poker first appeared on ESPN in 1987, with protection initially restricted to documentary-style highlights that aired months after the occasion.

In 2003, ESPN built-in revolutionary hole-card digicam expertise (pocket cams) that allowed viewers to see the gamers’ hidden playing cards for the primary time.

This, coupled with Chris Moneymaker parlaying an $86 on-line poker satellite tv for pc right into a $2.5 million Most important Occasion victory, kicked off the “Moneymaker Impact”, with ESPN transferring into edited episodes coupled with iconic commentary of Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.

Over the next a long time, ESPN expanded its protection of the WSOP, introducing the “November 9” delayed remaining desk format, which ran from 2008 to 2016.

Whereas protection of the WSOP moved to CBS in 2021, many see ESPN because the Sequence’ religious house, and longtime followers will welcome its return.

Primarily based in the UK, Will began working for PokerNews as a contract reside reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time workers in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.