If you were struggling to find the live coverage of the WSOP Main Event on the ESPN network, you weren't alone.
For many players and fans, tracking down poker's premiere event on the ESPN platform proved challenging, and the confusion was widespread.
How to watch the WSOP Main Event
PokerOrg reached out to Norman Chad, the ever-irascible co-host of The Main Event’s Inside the WSOP show, to clear up any confusion.
Many fans and players were confused about how to find the ESPN Main Event live stream coverage when it began. Can you shed some light on this issue?
First of all, from day one, the WSOP’s agreement was that the Main Event would be live-streamed until the final table on ESPN+ or ESPN Unlimited.
Some people were surprised when they found that out, and some did not know how to access ESPN+. I know many people had trouble finding it, even if they already had it.
How did you find the coverage?
Well, I have trouble finding everything. It turns out it already was part of my DirecTV package. When I went to the DirecTV website, it told me I could activate ESPN+. It wasn't as easy as it should have been, but I went through what I had to do, and bang, I had ESPN+ on my laptop in about 10 minutes. After that, I didn’t have any issues.
I do know some other people had trouble or did not realize they already had it with their cable provider's package. We apologize to anyone who could not find it or did not realize it would be on an app.
It’s much different from our cable world 23 years ago, when Chris Moneymaker won.
Back in the old days of basic cable, almost everyone had ESPN in their package. What happened over the last few years is that ESPN became part of another bundle. You might have it through your Disney or Hulu bundle, depending on your cable or satellite provider.
Note: The stream is archived on Hulu. Search for poker, and you will find Day 1 through Day 8 of the WSOP Main Event.
What can we expect in the taped episodes leading up to the live final table on ESPN?
As you know, we stopped play at the final table. Between now and August 3, four one-hour episodes will air on ESPN2.
These four episodes chronicle the journey from Day 1 to the final table. ESPN2 will air two one-hour episodes per night on consecutive Tuesdays, July 21 and July 28, during the old ESPN Poker Night slot.
Where and when can fans find the live airing of the WSOP Main Event final table?
The first night of the live final table is on ESPN2 on August 3, starting at 9pm Eastern. The second night is on ESPN on August 4, starting at 9pm Eastern. The final night is on ESPN on August 5 starting at 10:30pm Eastern.
If you miss that or want to watch it again, a truncated version will air the following week: a two-hour final table presentation on ESPN2 on Monday, August 10.
Anyone still not clear on this is welcome to call me at home and wake me up, and I will repeat this information in a very grumpy voice.
Do you have any predictions?
I have no predictions. Like many others, I will be rooting for the OG FBT man of the moment, Greg Mueller. But whether he wins it or not, I just hope he loses 15 or 20 pounds before the final table so he can look pretty as a pumpkin on ESPN.
Follow the WSOP on X and YouTube. And don’t forget to follow Norman Chad on X.
Image courtesy of WSOP/Lennart Hennig.
