Fox Sports Net to start airing WPT Season VII next month

LOS ANGELES, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- WPT Enterprises and Fox Sports Net (FSN) announced today the World Poker Tour® (WPT) Season VII television schedule, debuting the first of 26 action-packed episodes on January 4, 2009 during FSN's Sunday Night Sports Block. Rounding out the sports lineup on FSN, WPT joins the ranks of Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association.

"FSN is pleased to be the new home of the WPT, the foremost brand in televised poker," said George Greenberg, FSN Executive Vice President of Programming and Production. "This season promises the biggest names, the highest stakes and the most drama and we are very excited to watch all the action unfold."

Season VII's new one-hour, two-part format continues to provide sports-style analysis and high-stakes hands from WPT's world-renowned tournaments. Season VII also gives viewers a front-row seat to watch poker history, anticipating such milestones as the $400 million mark for prize money awarded and the 100th WPT Poker-Made Millionaire crowned. Fans will also see many familiar faces back at the final table, including WPT Season IV Player of the Year Gavin Smith, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow and David "the Dragon" Pham.

"Not only are we excited to bring our seventh season to the airwaves, we're ecstatic to be a part of one of the leading networks for sports, FSN," said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President, and CEO. "Together, WPT and FSN continue to bring the action into living rooms and put fans on the edge of their seats."

Hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten are back to call the action, while a new face—WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman—joins the team to conduct sideline interviews. The action is recorded from the most prestigious gaming destinations on the WPT circuit: Bellagio in Las Vegas, The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ont., Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss., Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, and Bay 101 in San Jose, Calif.

All 26 Season VII episodes airing on FSN are sponsored by FullTiltPoker.net™, one of the leading websites in poker instruction. Additionally, Southwest Airlines returns as the Official Airline of the World Poker Tour.

In addition to airing WPT action, FSN is also the network home for ClubWPT.com. Viewers can catch all ten ClubWPT.com episodes during a TV marathon airing Christmas Day on FSN.

In early January, WPT will launch a channel finder on www.WorldPokerTour.com, giving fans easy access to the full World Poker Tour and ClubWPT.com TV schedules on FSN, including show times and channels in your area.