PokerStars announced a new television deal with FOX Sports on Friday. The agreement brings the record-breaking PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) tournament to FS1 beginning Friday, Feb. 26, at 11 pm (ET)
Never before seen in the United States, the 2019 tournament was part of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure at the Atlantis Resort and Casino in the Bahamas. The new deal now gives poker fans even more live poker to check out on television.
“There’s no better partner than FOX, who shares our enthusiasm for high-stakes action,” FOX Bet CMO Andrew Schneider said in a news release. “The PSPC tournament is ready made for TV and exemplifies everything we love about poker and showcases the type of opportunities and events we’re passionate about offering the PokerStars community.”
What to expect from PokerStars on FOX
The PSPC attracted plenty of attention in 2019, with the site giving away numerous Platinum Passes in the buildup to the event. A pass awarded players a $25,000 buy-in and a free trip to the Atlantis.
The tournament generated a record-breaking prize pool and culminated with $5.1 million top prize. FS1 will air nine one-hour episodes of the tournament and more is planned on the network.
A PokerStars new release described the coverage as “a prelude to a deepening initiative between PokerStars and the 24-hour sports network that promises to deliver an array of entertaining poker content from PokerStars events all over the world.”
Viewers will see several recognizable names among the PSPC field including:
- NBA star Paul Pierce
- pro skateboarder Tony Hawk
- comedian, actor, and writer Norm Macdonald
- golf pro Sergio Garcia
The tournament brought in 1,039 players, generating a $26.4 million prize pool. That’s the largest ever for a $25,000 buy-in. The massive field mixed top professionals with poker novices.
Viewers can follow the journey as many Platinum Pass winners from all over the world turned a free pass into a well-earned payday. The top six players also all scored more than $1 million.
PokerStars tournament already airing in Michigan after site launches in state
In addition to airing nationally on FS1, the tournament began airing on FOX-2 in Detroit earlier in February. The programming launched shortly after FOX Bet, PokerStars, and Stars Casino launched in Michigan in January.
Now operating in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the deal also brings regular PokerStars content to local FOX stations.
“We are excited to deepen our partnership with FOX Bet by offering viewers this riveting slate of never-before-seen content from PokerStars,” FOX Sports Executive Vice President of Programming Bill Wanger said.
Here’s a look at the complete 2021 FS1 PokerStars schedule (all times Eastern).
- Friday, Feb. 26 – 11 pm
- Saturday, Feb. 27 – midnight
- Friday, March 5 – 11 pm
- Saturday, March 6 – midnight
- Friday, March 12 – 11:30 pm
- Saturday, March 13 – 12:30 am
- Friday, March 19 – 10 pm and 11 pm
- Friday, March 26 – 11 pm
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