On Thursday, Ultra Internet Media, the parent company of Everest Poker, filed a lawsuit against Harrah’s alleging breach of contract. Everest Poker is the official on-felt sponsor of the Harrah’s-backed World Series of Poker (WSOP).
An article that appeared in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper on Friday revealed that Everest Poker is in the final year of a $22.5 million agreement to sponsor the annual tournament series in Las Vegas. It paid $6.2 million to be the official on-felt sponsor in 2008, $7.9 million in 2009, and is on the hook for $8.4 million this year. The 2010 WSOP kicks off on May 28th from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, with the Main Event beginning on July 5th. ESPN will once again carry the festivities, which will be beamed into households around the world.
The breach of contract centers on French television station RTL9, which displayed logos of the USA-facing site Full Tilt Poker on WSOP felts instead of Everest Poker. Harrah’s and ESPN officials met in February 2009 to discuss the issue and, according to the Sun and the lawsuit filed last week, “Harrah’s and ESPN agreed to control their affiliate, RTL9, and require RTL9 to cease causing violations of the agreement during its broadcasts and transmissions into France.” However, broadcasts continued to feature the logo of Full Tilt, the world’s second largest online poker site.
Harrah’s officials told the Sun that they had not yet received a copy of the lawsuit. This year, ESPN will provide coverage of the Player’s Championship, a brand new $50,000 buy-in Eight-Game format that will see the best of the best compete head-to-head. The tournament begins on the 2010 WSOP’s opening day and includes Limit Hold’em, Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High-Low Split Eight or Better, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball. The final table of the Player’s Championship will be entirely No Limit Hold’em.
The law firm Marquis & Aurbach, based in Las Vegas, filed the suit, which according to the Sun reads in part, “Every material breach of the agreement represents lost potential future profits, erosion of goodwill, and compromise of UIM’s international business reputation.” Everest Poker purportedly generates a large chunk of its revenue from France, leading to the focus on the French television affiliate.
In 2009, Michigan youngster Joe Cada bested Maryland logger Darvin Moon in the finale of the WSOP Main Event. In the United States, ESPN’s finale of the tournament generated a viewing audience of more than 2.1 million people. The broadcast recorded a 1.8 rating, on par with the 1.9 rating logged in 2008. The unique final table format saw the WSOP Main Event play down to a final table on July 15th. The nine competitors reassembled at the Rio in November after a four-month hiatus in order to coincide with the event’s television broadcast. 2010 will mark the third year of the November Nine format.
Besides Everest Poker, other WSOP partners include Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and Milwaukee’s Best Light. The tournament series is in its 41st year and will, for the first time, hold a special all-star game. The 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions will take on an all-star game format, with 20 bracelet winners eligible for inclusion by the general public. Five players – Annie Duke, Mike Sexton, Mike Matusow, Barry Shulman, and Cada – have automatic bids and two more spots will be awarded through a yet-to-be-determined qualification process.
Everest Poker does not accept players from the United States and features a stable of pros that includes 2009 WSOP Main Event November Nine member Antoine Saout, who finished in third place last year. Team Everest Poker also includes Fabrice Soulier, who won the 2008 Marrakech Poker Open. Saout and Soulier are French pros.
Check out the Las Vegas Sun article for more information.
