The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => Game Show Channels & Networks => Topic started by: weaklink75 on April 05, 2007, 03:30:47 PM
-
Starting next season.... (http://\"http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8OAGRSO0.htm\") I think this is a great move, since although the WPT shows have been down on Travel Channel, they still rate decently...plus Travel Channel is in a state of transition anyway (Discovery bought out Cox Communications share of their networks recently; part of the deal was Cox got Travel Channel)...any thoughts?
-
It's as if the Westerns Channel started showing "Beverly Hills 90210." It would get great demos and it's set in the West, but is it a Western?
-
With that logic, the WPT makes even less sense on Travel Channel. It's a series that (supposedly) travels the world, but it's not a Travel show. On the other hand, GSN is (supposedly) a network for games. Poker is a game. Therefore, what's the problem?
Now the only stuff I know about licensing is what I learn at anime conventions, but $335,000/episode seems like an awful lot.
-
The problem is that shows that aren't in sync with the core audience reduces the core audience. Wouldn't you agree that the people who watch Poker on TV don't give two hoots about Bud Collyer? I don't even watch GSN on weeknights because nothing interests me in their primetime lineup. Start a 24/7 Poker channel and put that stuff there.
-
I think the WPT on GSN will go down nicely, thank you very much.
-
Over/Under on Shandi joining WPT: May 31st.
-
I haven't watched the WPT in a few years... but haven't many of the "name" poker pros ditched this for the PPT show? Or is it a package deal for both series?
-
[quote name=\'ChrisLambert!\' post=\'149534\' date=\'Apr 5 2007, 05:45 PM\']
I haven't watched the WPT in a few years... but haven't many of the "name" poker pros ditched this for the PPT show? Or is it a package deal for both series?
[/quote]
The PPT didn't last past the initial season. Most pros still play in WPT events. The problem is you don't necessarily see many of them at the final table regularly enough, IMO.
-
[quote name=\'goongas\' post=\'149570\' date=\'Apr 5 2007, 05:08 PM\']
The PPT didn't last past the initial season. Most pros still play in WPT events. The problem is you don't necessarily see many of them at the final table regularly enough, IMO.
[/quote]
Then maybe they should....oh, I dunno...PLAY POKER BETTER.
-
WPT seems a better fit on GSN than Travel. Granted, the Travel Channel has lost one of its marquee shows, but now GSN just has that much more legitimacy with this long-running hit.
But by the time GSN gets WPT on, will TV poker have lost its luster? Some of the poker shows that have sprung up in recent years are now long gone from TV - like "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and "Ultimate Poker Challenge".
-
In other news, they apparently just got done airing the "National 3 Card Poker Championship".
In my opinion, that is one of the most boring games of all to watch (and play, for that matter). There's little, if any strategy involved, the game lacks any true excitement, and you really just had to be lucky (http://\"http://www.shufflemaster.com/04_players/tournaments/\") to even qualify for the damn thing (the tips suck on 3 Card Poker too).
-
Here's Rich Cronin on the deal.... (http://\"http://cardplayer.com/poker_news/article/8611\")apparently, they're looking to package it with High Stakes Poker on Monday nights in January.
-
Considering how well High Stakes is doing (erm..."well" in the compared-to-everything-else sense), if GSN brings in some new viewers with the Tour who see High Stakes, then it's all good. Poker fans seem especially intrigued to see a cash game like that, and I, who can sometimes get in to a Celebrity Poker Showdown match or World Series final, really liked it as well.
-Jason
-
I like baseball. Why can't GSN carry some minor league games in prime? :)
What people may overlook is that while this kind of programming may be more popular than game shows, it doesn't really help the cause of game shows on GSN.
USA has mostly movies in the daytime and it's been that way for a decade. I'm happy that USA has high ratings, but I don't think that'll lead to the return of the USA afternoon of games.
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'149686\' date=\'Apr 6 2007, 01:16 PM\']What people may overlook is that while this kind of programming may be more popular than game shows, it doesn't really help the cause of game shows on GSN.[/quote]It sure doesn't. And that ship sailed when we first saw Average Joe and Spy TV instead of Wheel of Fortune and $100,000 Pyramid.
-
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'149709\' date=\'Apr 6 2007, 07:37 PM\']
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'149686\' date=\'Apr 6 2007, 01:16 PM\']What people may overlook is that while this kind of programming may be more popular than game shows, it doesn't really help the cause of game shows on GSN.[/quote]It sure doesn't. And that ship sailed when we first saw Average Joe and Spy TV instead of Wheel of Fortune and $100,000 Pyramid.
[/quote]
However, those shows didn't work ratings-wise for GSN. Casino gaming is the only non-traditional game show element that has worked for GSN in ratings and demos since the re-branding. Of course they're going to stick with it--and at the end of the day, WPT fits in with GSN a lot better than it ever did with Travel.
-
Lost in all this discussion about whether the poker show "fits" is that if The Travel Channel wanted it, it would still be on The Travel Channel. The bigger issue is that poker shows on TV may have run their course, and all this is is GSN picking up something that wasn't even good enough for The Travel Channel anymore.
-
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'149712\' date=\'Apr 6 2007, 09:06 PM\']
Lost in all this discussion about whether the poker show "fits" is that if The Travel Channel wanted it, it would still be on The Travel Channel. The bigger issue is that poker shows on TV may have run their course, and all this is is GSN picking up something that wasn't even good enough for The Travel Channel anymore.
[/quote]
True, but with the new Travel Channel ownership, maybe they wanted to get back to their roots with programs about, well, travel...and I don't think TV poker has run it's course, but it has probably gone past the peak, and it's going down to a plateau. However, networks think it can still be a viable show (NBC is expanding their Heads-Up Poker tournament to 7 consecutive Sunday shows, each one going from 1-3 hours long for example).
-
Cool! NBC's back in the daytime game show biz!
The Travel Channel is a better fit. There's no better place for a tour than a travel channel.
-
I haven't watched the WPT in a few years... but haven't many of the "name" poker pros ditched this for the PPT show? Or is it a package deal for both series?
Like someone else said, the PPT is inactive right now, but regardless, both WPT and PPT were run by the same company and did not compete with each other. In fact, PPT scheduled their events to coincide with off-days in WPT events, so ithe two entities actually complemented each other, if anything.
Then maybe they should....oh, I dunno...PLAY POKER BETTER.
It's not quite that simple. :) WPT events get much more entries than they used to. No matter how well they play, the recognizable professionals are much less likely to reach the final table in a 700-player event than they are in a 200-player event. So while the success of the WPT tournaments (at the casino level) creates much greater prize pools, which is good for drawing viewers, the downside of it is significantly less star-studded final tables.
-
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'149712\' date=\'Apr 6 2007, 09:06 PM\']
The bigger issue is that poker shows on TV may have run their course, and all this is is GSN picking up something that wasn't even good enough for The Travel Channel anymore.
[/quote]
I don't think that's saying much. GSN and Travel get similar ratings, but even though GSN only has about 2/3 the HH, partnering it with HSP could probably up that. Plus, it may have just been the case that Travel Channel didn't want to pay for more episodes.
Casino gaming is the only non-traditional game show element that has worked for GSN in ratings and demos since the re-branding.
What about the docs? I thought they did pretty well.