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Judging by the ratings success of the delayed World Series of Poker final, it might not surprise many that ESPN will now be broadcasting the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE).
ESPN announced Monday that it will broadcast eight original hours of the World Series of Poker-Europe main event. The event took place in the Casino at the Empire in the heart of downtown London's theater district and attracted 362 of the world's best players.
ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker-Europe will debut on February 1 with the first four episodes beginning at 6 p.m. ET. There will be an encore presentation of the first two episodes on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. The shows will be co-hosted by Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.
The telecast could help to increase attendance at this year's WSOPE, which, in its two year existence, has had zero growth. The same number of attendees played in 2008 that took part in the event's 2007 premier. A large number of WSOPE participants are from the United States.
While the winner is already known (and we won't post the name here), those living in the US were not privy to much of the event coverage.
ESPN will also be presenting a novel concept which allows viewers to see hole cards from key hands.
"We believe the Mobile Hold Card Camera will provide fans a great understanding of the overall story behind the tournament, and how the players advanced to the final table," said Jamie Horowitz, ESPN senior sports producer.
Viewers can follow the action on ESPN2 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. February 1st, 8th and 15th. The final two episodes will air on March 1st at 10 and 11 p.m.
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Ace King, Gambling911.com
