The countdown to the 2026 WSOP starts here. 100 bracelets. The world's best players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Norman Chad's iconic commentary helped define poker’s boom era, and he will be back in the booth for ESPN’s coverage of this year’s WSOP Main Event.
How many WSOP Main Events have you covered?
This will be my 24th year at the WSOP.
You've built an excellent commentary double act with Lon McEachern. What's your favorite moment in the booth with him?
I always enjoy it when he falls asleep in the booth because it gives me a little more elbow room to say what I want to say. When he wakes up, he just dominates the whole thing. Lon’s voice could shatter a window.
What was your reaction when you heard that the WSOP and ESPN were partnering again?
The previous years have almost taken the mainstream audience out of the game. I think it’s huge for the World Series of Poker, and it's great for poker in general and for the game's growth.
Do you think the game will see another boom, like when Chris Moneymaker won in 2003?
We're not going to get a repeat of the boom we saw 20 years ago, but we will get the game in front of a lot of people who wouldn't see it otherwise. I think the ESPN connection is so critical right now to poker's lifeline, and it will make us stronger.
Where and how to watch the 2026 WSOP Main Event
Viewing habits have changed a lot in the last 23 years. What's going to be different about the ESPN broadcast this year?
I think some people will be a little confused or unhappy when we get to the Main Event.
The Main Event will be livestreamed, but it's not on ESPN or ESPN 2. It'll be on the ESPN app.
What about the final table coverage?
The three-day Main Event final table will be on ESPN2. The post-produced highlight shows will also be on the network, on ESPN or ESPN2.
But the live streaming itself will be on the ESPN streaming app, which is tremendous. The ESPN streaming app has millions of subscribers, unlike the live streams that were done the last few years.
What exactly will you and Lon be doing?
I don’t know everything yet, but I can tell you for sure that we will be doing all the post-produced broadcasts of the Main Event and the final table.
Do you have any other broadcast duties ahead of the Main Event?
I will probably be part of a daily show that GGPoker will put out – an ‘Inside the NBA’-type show hosted by Jeff Platt.
What’s your favorite food spot to hit up during the series?
There's a small pizza chain in Las Vegas called Metro pizza. It’s a great family place. Also, Siegel’s Bagelmania – that place rocks.
And what do you do on your days off?
Whenever I can, I go to bowl. Las Vegas is one of the great bowling cities in America.
Norman Chad: The quickfire round
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The 2026 WSOP starts on May 26 and runs through August 5, when the Main Event champion will be crowned.
Feature image courtesy of WSOP/Jayne Furman.
