On 1st March 2007 The Poker Channel is set to expand into Europe, launching Scandinavia and France’s first dedicated poker channel. Commercial Director, Chris White, has inked carriage deals with leading networks in every major poker territory in Europe including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, France and Germany. The channel is maintaining its presence in the UK through its channel block deals, and the rest of the world through its broadband feed.
The free-to-air channel will broadcast 24/7 throughout Scandinavia, on channel 95, on the regions’ largest digital satellite network Canal Digital, via the Thor II satellite (0.8° West). In France the channel will be carried on Noos Numericable (channels 48 and 95 respectively) and ADSL platform Free (channel 65). In Germany the channel will be carried on Kabel Deutschland and KBW, giving the channel a guaranteed subscriber base of 13.4m homes including its UK channel block deals. European poker fans who do not have access to any of these networks, will still be able to receive the channel with a satellite dish pointed towards 1° West and an appropriate set top box (tuned to 11.229 GHZ Horizontal).
Crispin Nieboer, Founder CEO said: “We are delighted to be broadening our reach across the whole of Europe, having agreed deals with the leading networks in such fast-growing poker territories. Scandinavia, France and Germany represent the most sought after, but hard to reach, countries for our sponsors, following the removal of the US from the market, and over-supply to the maturing UK market. Our commercial partners are delighted that we can offer a low cost, focused and legal way to access all these high growth markets simultaneously, featuring sponsorship for real-money .com poker sites, in a way that no local broadcaster can.”
Schedule highlights include:
European Poker Masters:
Europe’s largest independent poker tour kicked off in some style
in September 2006, with the best players in the World descending on
50 Casino in Piccadilly London, including Phil Ivey, Jesus Ferguson
and Gus Hansen. The “Great Dane” went on to win the inaugural
event. The European Masters went on to visit Vienna, Paris and Dublin
with a combined prize pool of over €1,000,000 in this exciting
new addition to the Poker calendar (www.EuropeanPokerMasters.com).
Million Dollar Cash Game:
Coverage of the huge big money cash game direct from the luxurious
50 Casino in London in September 2006, featuring the biggest names
in poker battling it out for a share of the $1 million pot. Phil Ivey,
Gus Hansen, Mark Goodwin and Tony G were all in attendance. Watch
the anguish as one of the games most vocal pros drops $200,000 of
their own cash in quick succession.
Aussie Millions: Unforgettable action from the tables at Melbourne’s famous Crown Casino from the 2005 and 2006 Aussie Millions as the pros head down under for one of the big prizes in poker.
World Series of Poker: Classic action from the WSOP from years gone by, including Stu Ungar’s win in 1997, coverage of Matt Damon and Ed Norton, and a glimpse of the lives of the poker stars away from the tables in World Series: The Inside Track including a frank interview with Doyle Brunson and a look at the Vegas Crib of Andy Bloch.
British Poker Open: The world of Poker descends on London for the annual BPO, attracting the big players, celebrities and internet qualifiers alike with a look back at the great action from the tables from the last few seasons.
Do It Like…: Get up close to the biggest names in Poker and find out what their peers and opponents think off them. Frank interviews where the stars have their say on who’s great in the world of poker. Do it like…get’s under the skin of poker and includes the likes of Tony G, Gus Hansen and Devilfish.