PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, announced this week that it will be teaming up with FOXSports.com to create a free poker room made available on the popular sports news site. The PokerStars.net poker application will be hosted on FOXSports.com and provide a free-play poker client as well as news, tournament results, poker strategy, and rules.
PokerStars currently has more than 40 million users, most of which take their seats at play money games, and FOXSports hopes to draw a large number of players to its own site by attaching the PokerStars brand. ESPN.com currently generates the most comprehensive poker content among the major online sports media outlets in the United States, but FOXSports.com’s new section should become the go-to source for those looking to mix their sports content with poker.
“FOX Sports is thrilled to team up with PokerStars.net,” said Jim Bernard, Vice President of Gaming at FOX Sports Interactive. “Poker enthusiasts are some of the most fanatical and engaged sports fans on the web today. We look forward to delivering the poker experience to our 26 million users.”
Said PokerStars.net North America Regional Marketing Director Joe Versaci, “FOXSports.com is one of the most popular online destinations in the world, with thriving sports, gaming, and poker arenas that host the best live and editorial content on thousands of sporting and gaming events every week. This tie-in will see FOXSports.com and PokerStars.net combine the best live and editorial content with the web’s best online poker games.”
FOX and PokerStars have collaborated on a number of projects in the past. In October 2009, the television network introduced the PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge, a game show format that allows qualifiers to go heads-up against celebrities and a team of PokerStars pros, including Daniel Negreanu. The program airs Sundays after NFL football and its first season was the highest-rated poker show in U.S. history, averaging nearly four million viewers per episode. Season 2 began airing in September and can be found on Sundays on FOX around football.
The two companies also joined forces in producing the PokerStars Big Game, a highly popular show that began airing in the United States in June. PokerStars stakes a “Loose Cannon” qualifier with a $100,000 buy-in each week with a chance to keep any profit earned while playing a $200/400 cash game against some of the best players in the world. Among the pros involved are PokerStars Team Pros Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Jason Mercier, Vanessa Rousso and Joe Hachem, as well as Phil Hellmuth, Tony G, Phil Laak, Doyle Brunson, and Justin Bonomo.
Nadya Magnus is the current leader among the Season 2 Loose Cannons, banking $63,600. She’ll earn a PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Passport worth $50,000 if her lead holds through the remainder of the season.
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