$50,000 HORSE Returning to ESPN in 2010?

$50,000 HORSE Returning to ESPN in 2010?

Thursday, 3 September 2009

Amid talk of the various changes to broadcast and scheduling for the 2010 World Series of Poker comes rumours that the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event – a notable absence from the ESPN televised broadcasts – could return to screens next year.

The decision to not televise the prestigious event, which is considered the “true” world championship by many pros, saw ESPN face criticism from fans. However, they are still confident their decision was right – the everyman viewer would be baffled by Stud, Razz and Omaha Hi/Lo.


Despite this confidence, ESPN have revealed that this does not rule out the event for televised coverage next year: “We heard that (criticism) loud and clear,” said Doug White, ESPN’s senior director of programming and acquisitions. “I’m not ruling out that H.O.R.S.E. won’t be back for 2010. The ratings this year have been good, very comparable. We’re on par with last year, and headed in the right direction.”


ESPN say that their figures are up 3% to roughly 750,000 homes tuning in. The increased Day 1a coverage of the Main Event and focus on Hold ‘em seems to have had something to do with it – of three events televised, all were Hold ‘em and contained huge buy-ins ($10,000; $40,000 and $50,000).


Seth Palansky, WSOP Communications Director, said that the HORSE event final table would have to be NLHE in order to be televised again.



Tags: Poker News, $50, 000, HORSE, Returning, to, ESPN, in, 2010?