ESPN Brings World Series of Poker Back After Five-Year Absence

• ESPN regains WSOP rights after five-year run on CBS platforms
  
• Moneymaker’s 2003 win sparked poker’s global popularity boom
  
• NHL lockout helped WSOP ratings surge on ESPN reruns

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) will return to ESPN this summer after a five-year absence that saw it air on CBS/Paramount+.

ESPN and the WSOP announced Thursday they had agreed a multiyear deal to bring poker’s biggest competition “back home,” in the words of WSOP CEO Ty Stewart. ESPN began broadcasting the event in 1987, when the main event was taken down by a 30-year-old Johnny Chan.

Fringe to Mainstream

The network carried the WSOP from niche spectacle into the boom years, as the introduction of hole-card cameras in 2003 transformed the game into a surprisingly watchable product. That same year, the “Moneymaker Effect” helped fuel an explosion in popularity.

The aptly named Tennessee accountant, Chris Moneymaker, turned an $85 online satellite into $2.5 million by winning the main event. He became the first amateur online qualifier to claim the title and inspired a generation of players to believe they could do the same.

But another often-overlooked factor behind the poker boom was the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The cancelation of hockey that season following a dispute about the introduction of player salary caps suddenly left ESPN with empty programming slots and a need for cheap, replayable content – cue endless reruns of the WSOP.

“The legacy of this partnership helped the game explode and we can’t wait to deliver inspiration through world class content to a new generation of viewers,” Stewart said.

‘Cliffhanger’ Finale

ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions Ashley O’Connor said the deal was a “meaningful moment for fans and for us,” adding that the channel was “excited to showcase the intensity and unpredictability of this tournament across our platforms.”

Early-stage broadcasts will feature three simultaneous tables, offering expanded access to hands from leading players as they advance.

When ESPN first aired the Series, almost 40 years ago, there were 152 entrants in the main event and a $625,000 first prize. Last year’s winner, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, took home $10 million after besting a field of 9,735.