ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been nominated for a Sports Emmy Award for the second consecutive year, as announced this week by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The broadcast, hosted by Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, is one of 54 nominations ESPN received this year, the most of any television outlet for the ninth time in the last ten years.
The nomination was for ESPN’s WSOP final table coverage in the category “Outstanding Live Event Turnaround.” The final table was played down to two players on Saturday, November 7th, and the heads-up match took place on Monday, November 9th. Viewers then tuned in to watch 21-year-old Joe Cada defeat Darvin Moon for the bracelet and $8.5 million on ESPN on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00 pm ET.
Also nominated in the category are ESPN2’s Bassmaster Classic, CBC/Versus’ Tour de France coverage, Speed and NASCAR Media’s Inside the Headsets 25th All Star Race, and the PGA Tour’s Inside the PGA Tour Deutsche Bank Championship. The awards will be handed out on April 26th in New York City’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.
In 2009, ESPN’s WSOP coverage was nominated in the same category against ESPN2’s Bassmaster Classic, CBS’ Tour de France, the PGA Tour’s Inside the PGA Tour Deutsche Bank Championship, and NBC’s Games of the XXIX Olympiad, which won the Sports Emmy. In total, NBC Sports won five Emmys for its coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
E:60, topped all 2010 competitors with seven nominations, including Best Edited Series and four nominees between the Short and Long Features categories. E:60 aired on ESPN the same night as the World Series of Poker, at 8:00 pm ET. ESPN’s Outside the Lines – winner of 11 Sports Emmy Awards in its history – received four nominations (Best Daily Studio Show and three in the Long Feature category).
The 2010 WSOP will get underway on Friday, May 28th with the inaugural Player’s Championship. The event, which replaces the $50,000 HORSE Championship, is a $50,000 buy-in eight-game tournament that will be televised by ESPN. The Player’s Championship will feature Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi Low Split-8 or Better, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball. The winner will still receive the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.
While ESPN has not announced all of the events it will be broadcasting at the 2010 WSOP, it is assured that the network will again air the Main Event, which begins on July 5th, two days after the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament. Like the past two years, the nine players who reach the Main Event final table will reconvene in November to play for the title.
The WSOP and ESPN have a new seven-year broadcast agreement in place through the 2017 World Series. The new deal will begin in 2011, after the current broadcast deal expires.
