WPT Enterprises, Inc. is going global, according to an annoujncement this week from the company. It intends to expand its popular World Poker Tour following the signing of two licensing agreements to stage regional versions in Canada and the Philippines.
Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. revealed that the company has concluded agreements with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., the largest integrated media and entertainment company in the Philippines, and Aidan Tracey, a respected Canadian marketing/ sponsorship/promotion expert, to offer multi-tournament WPT Tours in card rooms and casinos in their respective countries beginning in early 2006.
The events will feature WPT-style Texas Hold’em tournaments expected to draw hundreds of players for increasingly growing prize pools at each stop. The World Poker Tour has been airing on television networks in Canada and The Philippines for the past two years, drawing a large following and hugely impacting the popularity of poker in those countries.
“Through these regional WPT Tours with ABS-CBN and Aidan Tracey, we have begun to create a global network of WPT Tours that will inspire the players in those countries and grow our brand internationally,” said Lipscomb.
Lipscomb anticipates additional regional World Poker Tours to be licensed in the future, as the popularity of the show continues to create worldwide fans. The World Poker Tour show, which has achieved worldwide viewership, is currently licensed for broadcast in 116 countries and territories around the world.
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., is involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as the production of television programming for Filipino domestic and international audiences. The two networks reach an estimated 97 percent and 50 percent of all television-owning households in the Philippines, respectively. The estimated market population for the region is 76 million people.
ABS-CBN is being granted the right to create four episodes in the first year, five in the second and six in the third — and to air them exclusively for four years total. The show will air in both English and Tagalish (a mix of Tagolog and English). The winner of the Filipino WPT Tour will also have a seat in the WPT Championship(TM) at Bellagio each April.
In Canada, Aidan Tracey, who has previously assisted the WPT to secure sponsorship tie-ins north of the border, will develop, stage and market a regional tour. Tracey is currently President of Mosaic Sales Solutions Field Marketing, the leading experiential event marketing company in Canada.
“Aidan’s deep knowledge in helping to build global brands, along with his own experience as a founder and executive producer of a successful international TV event special made him a natural choice,” noted Lipscomb.