ESPN Gets Boost for WSOP Ratings

[Harvey]

When ESPN and the WSOP decided to delay this year's final table, there were many complaints and questions.

But the ratings are in, and it looks like the strategy paid off. Ratings this year were up 46 percent from last year's WSOP final table.


The finals came down to Ivan Demidov and Peter Eastgate, with Eastgate becoming the youngest player to ever win the event (breaking Phil Hellmuth's long-standing record).

Once the final table event was over, ESPN quickly edited it and added in commentary from Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.

ESPN spokesperson George McNeilly said: "We're thrilled with the results and it's a tribute to the leadership of Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and his team at the WSOP in growing poker into a spectator sport. If you saw the telecast or were there in person, then you know the crowd went wild for their favorite players. The balcony seating was a capacity crowd. All nine players were unheralded coming in and were not household names, so it speaks to the great drama that is televised poker."