While it may be synonymous with poker, PokerStars will now become a regular part of Formula 1 racing. The company recently announced a deal that will see the brand highlighted on European broadcasts of the open-wheel racing circuit.
Beyond that deal, Stars also announced the official dates for the 2021 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). The news comes after the series recently announced the MicroMillions series in several markets.
The Brazilian Series of Poker also recently wrapped up and scored a record turnout. Here’s a look at some of the items making news at PokerStars.
PokerStars gets the green flag in F1 deal
Flutter International, the owner of PokerStars, announced a new deal this week with Interregional Sports Group (ISG) and Formula 1. The partnership will see the PokerStars brand featured exclusively throughout the European broadcast market for each season through 2023.
ISG is a global leader in using virtual advertising technologies to help brands target specific regional sports fans.
Company officials believe combining Stars’ worldwide appeal and this targeted approach make this an exciting partnership for both brands. That could lead to further innovation in the future.
“Working with Formula 1 provides us with the opportunity to reach a fan base whose passion for sport goes way beyond motorsport,” PokerStars group marketing director Tom Warren said in a news release. “To be able to engage an audience of this size and yet focus just on the regions that are key to us makes this a very exciting proposition.”
Company officials note that PokerStars Sports customers are actively engaged in Formula 1 and this season is no different. Visibility among F1 fans offers the operator a chance at reaching new and existing customers.
“We’re delighted to have reached this agreement with Flutter Group,” ISG CEO Tony Ragan said. “Combining the worldwide appeal of PokerStars and this targeted approach in engaging fans with many similar traits as the PokerStars’ community is an incredible opportunity for innovation and further engagement between the two popular brands.”
WCOOP coming soon
On Wednesday, PokerStars also confirmed the dates for the upcoming World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). The series has become one of the most prestigious series in online poker and is set for Aug. 22 to Sept. 15.
Players can expect an overall guarantee of $100 million – the series’ biggest guarantee ever. Last year’s series awarded $99.9 million, exceeding the original $80 million guarantee.
The series also attracted more than 1.1 million entries across the 75-event schedule. The new schedule isn’t out yet, but is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Brazilian Series breaks record online
For the last two years, the Brazilian Series of Online Poker (BSOP) has moved online to PokerStars. This year’s series featured 25 tournaments with $1.6 million guaranteed.
The results easily topped that total however, paying out more than $1.9 million and producing 48,772 total entries.
The $215 two-day Main Event guaranteed $450,000 and ultimately produced a $529,600 prize pool. Russia’s “Alister07”came out on top for $77,556.
In the $530 High Roller, Uruguay’s “kofi89” scored the win for $31,459. Kofi took on a final table where seven of the eight players were Brazilian.
In the race for the country with the most titles, Russia topped the standings with six. The United Kingdom came in second with five followed by Brazil with four.
MicroMillions gets underway this week
Plenty of action continues this month at PokerStars. The site recently announced the popular MicroMillions series returns July 15-25 for players around the world.
The festival features $4.7 million in guaranteed prize pools across 122 events. The action also heads to PokerStars Southern Europe and PokerStars Italy as well.
Players on the Southern Europe platform (France, Spain, and Portugal) can expect 174 events from July 18 to Aug. 1 with €3 million in guaranteed.
Italian players are in store for 90 events with €1.2 million guaranteed. For a complete preview and schedule of the MicroMillions, click here.