With the ongoing 42nd Annual World Series of Poker setting attendance records in multiple events it would seem that poker is definitely not in its death throes –a major fear after the US government’s crackdown on online poker back in April and May—in fact poker seems to be thriving now more than ever, with the World Poker Tour (WPT) reporting a 35% increase in viewership over the previous season.

In a press release issued by the WPT, the ratings boost was attributed to the fact that the new ownership group sought a new direction for Season IX of the WPT. According to the WPT, “CEO Steve Heller and President Adam Pliska set out to make significant changes to the WPT television product for Season IX, including injecting what they dubbed “YES” programming (younger, edgier, sexier elements) into the series.”

Here is a look at the major changes to the Season IX broadcast:

• New segments like 5 Questions and Ones To Watch, focusing on the young stars of the game, showcasing the next generation of poker stars

• New talent – Kimberly Lansing is the first woman to anchor a poker television show; Tony Dunst hosts the “Raw Deal” segment, where the brash, irreverent, sometimes too-candid online pro pulls no punches, making the “Raw Deal” a must-watch segment and a social media hit

• Royal Flush Girls– each show features four beautiful brand ambassadors who light up the screen

• Playdown coverage showing the industry’s biggest names and up and coming stars from day one of each event

Now the once stale telecast –it was virtually impossible to tell a Season I episode from a Season V or Season VIII episode based on the format of the show—has been injected with new segments, a new look, and new features.

Tags: Ambassadors, Attendance Records, Crackdown, Death Throes, Dunst, First Woman, New Direction, Ownership Group, Poker stars, Punches, Raw Deal, Sexier, Steve Heller, Television Product, Television Show, Viewership, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, WPT, Young Stars

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 19th, 2011 at 7:43 am and is filed under Poker News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.