The World Poker Tour is continuing with its campaign to paint the world poker, with plans in the works to create regional WPT tournaments for Canada and the Philippines. The standard World Poker Tour program already airs in 116 countries and territories across the world, but thanks to two recent licensing agreements, the WPT will be able to lend its name to new, country-specific programming.

The WPT signed licensing agreements with Philippine media giant ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., as well as Canadian marketing expert Aidan Tracey, allowing for multi-tournament WPT branded Texas hold'em events to take place casinos and poker rooms in each country. The new regional WPT events are expected to kick off in the beginning of 2006.

Since making its television debut in Canada and the Philippines two years ago, the demand for poker events and programming in both those locales has mushroomed. On the Philippine end of things, the licensing agreement with ABS-CBN allows the media company to create four episodes of the WPT in year one, five in year two, six in year three, and to air the episodes for altogether four years. The Philippine WPT program will feature both English and Tagalish (cross between English and Tagalog), and the winner of the regional event will earn a place at the next WPT Championship.

In Canada, Aidan Tracey, the second signatory, will spearhead the Canadian initiative, developing, staging, and marketing the Canadian tour. Tracey has already contributed to the WPT in the past, helping WPT Enterprises land sponsorship deals in Canada.

According to Steve Lipscomb, founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises, the company that produces the WPT TV program and licenses the WPT brand, more regional WPT events/programs are likely in the future.

Source:  Poker777 Staff

Tuesday, 13 September 2005