The Poker Channel, Europe’s dedicated poker television channel, re-launched its online site, pokerchanneleurope.com, on October 13th in cooperation with the online video site Brightcove.com.
The Poker Channel’s Commercial Director Chris White told Poker News Daily, “At The Poker Channel, we have expanded at a breakneck pace over the past two years. We have 15 million viewers across Europe and, with the assistance of Brightcove’s technology, can make pokerchanneleurope.com the premier destination for poker fans worldwide.”
Brightcove’s Vice President of Partner Development, Raghav Gupta, was also enthusiastic about the partnership and explained to PND, “The Poker Channel has become a key destination for fans, whether beginners or seasoned professionals.” He added, “We are thrilled that the Poker Channel has chosen the Brightcove online video platform to extend this success.”
Pokerchanneleurope.com will stream video clips that feature major tournament coverage, poker news, player interviews, tips for improving a player’s game, and exclusive promotions from participating online poker sites. The channel will also offer videos and articles from tournaments such as the World Series of Poker alongside educational videos, strategy articles, and interviews with stars such as Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, and Chris Ferguson. Future plans for the site include offering content in local languages, extending tournament coverage, and poker promotions to local audiences.
The Poker Channel started in England in 2005 and immediately had a significant impact on the European poker scene. Originally airing on the British Sky Broadcasting Network, The Poker Channel left in 2006 because of restrictions on how much poker could be aired. The channel came back at the start of 2007 on European satellite television with a focus on the European poker community and has been an unqualified success ever since.
The Poker Channel has aired many large tournaments and made for television events, including the British Poker Open and the European Poker Masters. In 2008, The Poker Channel has been able to add some of the top worldwide events onto its schedule, including the Irish Poker Open, the World Heads-Up Championships from Barcelona, and the recently-played Million Dollar Cash Game, which featured Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen, among others.
With the addition of its online arm, The Poker Channel should continue to present some of the best poker entertainment in the world. While it is unfortunate that the United States doesn’t have a similar channel, Americans are able to take part by visiting pokerchanneleurope.com.