ESPN is set to broadcast the WSOP Main Event once again, with a new multi-year deal bringing poker’s biggest stage back to primetime.
Coverage of the $10,000 WSOP Main Event will begin on the first day of the tournament, July 2, and will culminate in a live broadcast of the final table.
That final table will be delayed by 20 days, playing out on August 3-5 in a new change for the event.
Here’s what to look forward to for poker fans watching at home:
- At least 6 hours of programming per tournament day, starting with Day 1A and running through to July 13 when the final table will be set
- During the 20-day wait for the tournament finale, ESPN will build anticipation by screening edited highlights packages of the tournament so far, during primetime
- Action from the final table will be broadcast live from August 3-5, starting at 9pm ET
Production duties will be undertaken by Omaha Productions, the outfit behind live shows such as Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli and NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart, as well as docuseries including hit Netflix shows Quarterback, Starting 5 and Unreal.
Altogether the new deal will see around 100 hours of original WSOP programming screened each year. Details on who will present and commentate on the WSOP coverage is yet to be confirmed.
‘The biggest stage in sports’
For many older poker fans, the early days of the poker boom — and before — may be closely associated with ESPN’s coverage.
It started with coverage of the 1978 WSOP, and continued through Chris Moneymaker’s seminal 2003 victory and the ensuing shift in poker’s global popularity, known widely as ‘the Moneymaker Effect’.
Showcasing the event on TV was especially impactful given the lack of online streaming at the time, and alongside the rapid growth of online poker contributed to a worldwide boost in interest in the game that is still being felt today.
As commentator Lon McEachern told PokerOrg, "The show was constantly airing on ESPN. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing the final table with Farha versus Moneymaker. We only did six hours of the WSOP Main Event that year, but I heard ESPN aired it 1,300 times."
In 2021 it was announced that WSOP coverage would be moving to CBS, while in more recent years the rise of streaming has seen much of the WSOP screened on PokerGO. The subscription-based service still has many years of WSOP programming available to view on demand, including the Main Event and 35 side events from 2025.
The return to ESPN follows the $500M acquisition of the WSOP brand in 2024 by NSUS Group Inc, the parent company of the world's biggest online poker room GGPoker.
Announcing the deal with ESPN, WSOP Chief Executive Ty Stewart said “Returning to ESPN — the home of our most iconic moments since 1987 — allows us to showcase the human drama of the Main Event like never before. With our new ownership’s commitment to growth, this is the perfect time to bring the 'World Championship' back to the biggest stage in sports.”
“Poker is filled with unexpected storylines,” added ESPN’s Ashley O’Connor, “and nobody is better equipped to showcase the stories that unfold throughout a tournament than ESPN.”
We’ll bring you more details on what form the coverage will take, as well as what subscription packages will be necessary to view it, as they become available.
