World Poker Tours Television Future in Question

As it currently stands the World Poker Tour is for the first time without a television contract. Their company filed papers last week with the SEC saying the date for Game Show Network’s option to pick the show up for another season has been changed from May 24, 2008 to June 7, 2008.

The World Poker Tour had signed on with Game Show Network back in April 2007, after the Travel Channel chose not to bring the show back for a sixth consecutive season. The terms of their new contact guaranteed the show a sixth season and gave the network options to pick the show up for as many as two additional seasons.

Odds of the World Poker Tour appearing on the Game Show Network for its seventh season do not appear promising. Many have suggested the network will be walking away from poker all together and according to numerous published reports the network’s other poker show ‘High Stakes Poker’ has not filmed a new season nor will it likely return to GSN..

If the World Poker Tour does find themselves searching for a new television for season seven, they’ll certainly also find themselves negotiating out weakness rather than strength. We’ll keep you update on this story as the June 7th deadline arrives or as additional news becomes available.