Poker Hits MySpace Community Through Partnership with World Poker Tour®
21st October 2008
Dedicated WPT Channel Gives MySpace Users the First Fully-Integrated Destination for Poker Games and Content
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MySpace, the world’s premier social network, and World Poker Tour ® (WPT), the preeminent poker sports, entertainment and gaming league, have joined forces to create the first fully integrated poker destination with games and content for MySpace members.
The MySpace WPT community (www.myspace.com/ClubWPT) delivers a unique poker experience with must-see content for poker die-hards and casual fans alike, including expert tips and tricks, player profiles, video clips, tournament news, and behind-the-scenes videos from the World Poker Tour and new ClubWPT.com TV series. The community provides a place for poker fans to meet and interact with their favorite WPT superstars and discover new WPT content.
The MySpace WPT hub also offers a free multi-player poker game developed by Oberon, MySpace’s online game partner and a leading innovator in casual gaming. The free poker game allows MySpace members to compete against each other online in real time, putting their poker skills to the test in live or private tournaments. MySpace WPT community members can also experience channel sponsor, ClubWPT.com, which is WPT’s innovative online subscription and sweepstakes-based poker offering. For $19.95 per month, ClubWPT.com members receive VIP perks and the chance to play and win over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, like seats into WPT main events and the ClubWPT.com TV series.
“MySpace is bringing a new dimension of entertainment to users with this integrated WPT poker hub and providing an easy and fun way for users to play poker with friends on MySpace,” said Angela Courtin, senior vice president of marketing, entertainment and content for MySpace. “MySpace has a balance of a social community base and a global portal platform that allows brands like WPT to create great online entertainment experiences for our users. As the Web becomes increasingly more social, MySpace is at the forefront of innovation and online engagement.”
“Poker and social networking have separately reached and engaged people around the world in ways like nothing we’ve seen before,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President and CEO. “As poker continues to see major growth across the globe, this partnership meets the demand for a poker experience that appeals to enthusiasts of all levels by connecting consumers in one unique, fully-integrated gaming and entertainment environment.”
Poker fans will also see the MySpace WPT community get in the action during WPT Season VII television broadcasts, featured on the final table ring where the remaining six players battle it out for millions of dollars and a WPT title. Premiering on Fox Sports Net later this year, the World Poker Tour follows the pros, newcomers, and all the poker action from Las Vegas to Barcelona, featuring all-new final tables where millions of dollars and a WPT title are at stake.
No purchase is necessary for the ClubWPT.com sweepstakes and the service is void in states where prohibited. To get details on how to join, for information on alternative means of entry or to get a two-week free trial, visit www.myspace.com/ClubWPT or www.ClubWPT.com.
About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. MySpace has created a connected global community by integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums. MySpace's international network includes more than 30 localized community sites in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, India, Japan, and New Zealand. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS)(NYSE:NWS.A)(ASX:NWS)(ASX:NWSLV).
Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, September 2008. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to www.comscore.com.
ABOUT WPTE
WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour®, a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that has been licensed for broadcast globally. WPT Season VI airs Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on GSN in the United States, and WPT Season VII will air on FSN in 2009. WPTE also offers real-money online gaming on its website, www.worldpokertour.com, which prohibits wagers from players in the U.S. and certain other restricted territories. WPTE also has operations in mainland China, pursuant to an agreement with the China Leisure Sports Administrative Center where WPTE is developing and marketing the WPT China National Traktor Poker Tour. In January 2008, the company launched ClubWPT.com, an innovative subscription-based online poker club targeted to the estimated 60 million poker players in the United States and is currently offered in 38 States. WPTE currently licenses its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games, and giftware. The company is also engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. WPTE is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: LACO).
WPTEG
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by WPT Enterprises, Inc.) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the expansion of WPTE's brand licensing, the development of new television and film projects, the development of WPTE corporate sponsors and other business development activities, as well as statements regarding other capital spending, financing sources and the effects of competition. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of WPTE. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that WPTE may not obtain sufficient sponsorship revenues for Season VII programming of the WPT; difficulty of predicting the growth of our online gaming business, which is a relatively new industry with an increasing number of market entrants; reliance on the efforts of CryptoLogic to develop and maintain the online gaming website in compliance with WPTE’s business model and applicable gaming laws; the potential that our television programming will fail to maintain a sufficient audience; the risk that competitors with greater financial resources or marketplace presence might develop television programming that would directly compete with WPTE's television programming; the risk that WPTE may not be able to protect its entertainment concepts, current and future brands and other intellectual property rights; risks associated with future expansion into new or complementary businesses; the termination or impairment of WPTE's relationships with key licensing and strategic partners; and WPTE's dependence on its senior management team. For more information, review WPTE's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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