Online Poker News » September 2005 » September 12, 2005.

Canada and the Philippines are First Regions to Introduce Localized Versions of the Smash Hit Tour that Spawned the Worldwide Poker Phenomenon.

(Los Angeles, CA) - WPT Enterprises, Inc. has announced the global expansion of its hugely popular WORLD POKER TOUR (WPT) with the signing of two licensing agreements to stage regional versions in Canada and the Philippines.

Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. revealed that the company has concluded agreements with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., the largest integrated media and entertainment company in the Philippines, and Aidan Tracey, a respected Canadian marketing/ sponsorship/promotion expert, to offer multi-tournament WPT Tours in card rooms and casinos in their respective countries beginning in early 2006. The events will feature WPT-style Texas Hold'em tournaments expected to draw hundreds of players for increasingly growing prize pools at each stop. The WPT has been airing on television networks in Canada and The Philippines for the past two years, drawing a large following and hugely impacting the popularity of poker in those countries.

"We are very pleased to be able to bring the WPT to the fans in other countries who have been itching to try their hand at making a WPT Final Table," said Lipscomb. "Through these regional WPT Tours with ABS-CBN and Aidan Tracey, we have begun to create a global network of WPT Tours that will inspire the players in those countries and grow our brand internationally. It will be fun to see local players evolve into regional poker stars, just as our primary WPT Tour players over the past few years have garnered international recognition, and are now recognizable everywhere they go."

Lipscomb anticipates additional regional WPT Tours to be licensed in the future, as the skyrocketing popularity of the show continues to create worldwide fans. The WORLD POKER TOUR show, which has achieved worldwide viewership, is currently licensed for broadcast in 116 countries and territories around the world.

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., is involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as the production of television programming for Filipino domestic and international audiences. The company's largest business, its VHF television network, consists of its flagship channel in Manila - Channel 2 - together with 23 other owned and operated television stations and ten affiliated stations, forming the leading television network in the Philippines. The company also operates Studio 23, the leading UHF television network in the Philippines with 35 televisions stations. The two networks reach an estimated 97% and 50% of all television-owning households in the Philippines, respectively. The estimated market population for the region is 76 million people.

"We wish to introduce poker among the Filipinos served by ABS-CBN, locally and globally, and to the skills, art & excitement that it generates both as a program and as a game," said Peter A. Musngi, Vice President for ABS-CBN Sports. "As a television show, we are hopeful that we can duplicate the success of WPT USA in the Philippines and the region given the reach and equity of ABS-CBN. We are confident that this is not a far-fetched reality."

ABS-CBN is being granted the right to create four episodes in the first year, five in the second and six in the third - and to air them exclusively for four years total. The show will air in both English and Tagalish (a mix of Tagolog and English). The winner of the Filipino WPT Tour will also have a seat in the WPT Championship™ at Bellagio each April.

In Canada, Aidan Tracey, who has previously assisted the WPT to secure sponsorship tie-ins north of the border, will develop, stage and market a regional tour. Tracey is currently President of Mosaic Sales Solutions Field Marketing, the leading experiential event marketing company in Canada. Mosaic Field Marketing handles consumer promotion events at malls, community events and large festivals for many blue-chip Fortune 100 clients. The company does product sampling, creates brand experiences, and runs large mobile 18 wheel rigs that go to major events to bring brands to life. Tracey has also produced the World Beer Games, which aired on TV in 2002 and 2003 in many markets outside the USA, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

"Aidan's deep knowledge in helping to build global brands, along with his own experience as a founder and executive producer of a successful international TV event special made him a natural choice," noted Lipscomb.

Tracey will work closely with WPTE to build out events across the country to establish and grow the WPT Canada sub-brand and at the same time educate players through the WPT educational website www.wptonline.net. "It is going to be a ton of fun helping the WPT to build the leading poker brand in Canada," said Tracey. "By utilizing a network of host casinos, TV partners, Mosaic field marketing, and client sponsorships we should be able to get the WPT Canadian Tour off to a great start in 2006."

The WORLD POKER TOUR, which reinvented poker as a televised spectator sport, airs tournaments filmed at leading casinos from Paris to Las Vegas, and will begin the broadcast of its fourth season in March 2006. Airing every Wednesday night in the U.S. at 9 PM ET/PT on The Travel Channel, the WPT is the highest-rated series in the network's history. WORLD POKER TOUR is now seen in 116 countries and territories worldwide.

Source: WPT Press Release

Tags: World Poker Tour, WPT Tours, Regional Versions,.