Travel Channel reached an agreement with WPT Enterprises Inc. to air a Professional Poker Tour series, the network said Monday.
The network said it will begin airing during the third quarter, Wednesdays from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. (EST/PST), following the completion of season four of World Poker Tour.
PPT features a series of invitation-only tournaments that are limited to the highest-ranked players in the world, Travel added.
WPT Enterprises sued Travel last September in federal court for breach of contract and intentional interference in a dispute over carriage of PPT.
WPT Enterprises said ESPN had offered a three-year deal to license and carry the 48 hours per season of PPT programming after WPT Enterprises came up with the idea.
The company added that it took the ESPN offer to Travel, which had a contractual ability to match the deal. According to WPT Enterprises, Travel instead sent letters to it and ESPN threatening to sue and citing existing carriage rights, and ESPN withdrew the offer.
After signing this deal, WPT Enterprises and Travel said Monday that “they have resolved their differences amicably and terminated the litigation between them. Both parties look forward to continuing their mutually prosperous relationship.”
“This deal allows Travel Channel to feature 44 weeks of premiere episodes of WPT and PPT programming each year, which is great for poker fans who have asked for additional premieres, and it really bolsters our ‘Wednesday Night Is Poker Night on the Travel Channel’ platform,” executive vice president and general manager Pat Younge said in a prepared statement.
