2017 WSOP Main Event will have Live Coverage by ESPN and Poker Central
2017 marks the end of World Series of Poker’s nine-year experiment known as the November Nine and, for the first time since 2007, the WSOP main event champion will be decided in July with live coverage by ESPN and Poker Central.
May 15, 2017 – Poker Central® has acquired the global television and digital media rights to the annual summer World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. Poker Central and ESPN have reached an agreement to expand programming from the tournament including live event coverage and original episodes throughout the year. The agreement marks the first-time ESPN will air same-day coverage of the WSOP from day one of the Main Event to the conclusion of the final table, a model which will continue through 2020. – ESPN
What we can expect from 2017 WSOP on ESPN
- ➤ Ten consecutive days of WSOP Main Event live coverage on ESPN/ESPN2 starting Day 1A (July 8) through Day 7 (July 17)
- ➤ Continuation of event through July 22 with off days on July 18 & 19 for the final nine players
- ➤ Three-day live* WSOP Main Event final table coverage on ESPN/ESPN2 July 20-22
- ➤ The elimination of the “November Nine” format with play now finishing in the summer
As you can see, the most notable change is the timing of the Main Event. No longer will there be a 4-month hiatus in between the conclusion of the final nine players to make the final table and the commencement of the Main Event. The nine players will now only get 2 days break on July 18 & 19 and the three-day live Main Event will be aired from July 20th-22nd with live coverage on ESPN.
“ESPN has been our home since 2002 and we’re delighted to extend the relationship into the next decade,” said Ty Stewart, executive director, WSOP. “Having every day live coverage of the WSOP Main Event is truly a huge commitment on behalf of ESPN and Poker Central and we look forward to delivering to our faithful audience wall-to-wall action from the outset for the very first time.”
“We are thrilled to add the preeminent poker brand, the World Series of Poker, to our growing portfolio of poker-related content,” said JR McCabe, chief digital officer, Poker Central. “We have major plans to reinvent the WSOP offering to greatly expand how, when and where fans of the game of poker can watch and engage with the game.”
“The World Series of Poker has been a longstanding staple of ESPN programming,” said Dan Ochs, director of programming and acquisitions, ESPN. “We are pleased to reach an agreement to continue to carry the sport’s most prominent event and modernize our coverage with the new same day live coverage throughout July each year.”
The 4 year deal will see ESPN broadcast and estimated 40 hours of live WSOP Main Event coverage each July, plus a commitment of original packaged shows totaling 130 hours annually. Any coverage not aired by ESPN will be streamed exclusively through Poker Central’s digital distribution channels.
Planned Broadcasting Schedule for 2017 WSOP Live Coverage On ESPN/ESPN 2
| Date | Time | Episode | Network |
| Sat, July 8 | 4pm – 8pm | Day 1A | ESPN 2 |
| Sun, July 9 | 2pm – 6pm | Day 1B | ESPN 2 |
| Tues, July 11 | 8pm – 11pm | Day 2A/B | ESPN |
| Wed, July 12 | 8pm – 10pm | Day 2C | ESPN |
| Fri, July 14 | 8pm – 11pm | Day 4 | ESPN 2 |
| Sat, July 15 | 2pm – 4pm | Day 5 | ESPN 2 |
| Sun, July 16 | 2pm – 6pm | Day 6 | ESPN 2 |
| Mon, July 17 | 7pm – 9pm | Day 7 | ESPN 2 |
| Wed, July 19 | 10pm – 11pm | Off Day – Final Table Preview Show | ESPN 2 |
| Thurs, July 20 | 9pm – TBD | Day 8 – Nine to Six Players | ESPN 2 |
| Fri, July 21 | 9pm – TBD | Day 9 – Six to Three Players | ESPN |
| Sat, July 22 | 9pm – TBD | Day 10 – Three Players to Winner | ESPN |
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