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Poker Channel Europe
Launched	23 March 2005
Country	United Kingdom
Broadcast area	Europe
Website	PokerChannelEurope.com
Availability
Satellite
Sky Digital (UK, Ireland)	Channel 166 (Information TV - 21:30 to 04:00)
Canal Digital (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden)	Channel 94
Cable
UPC Netherlands	Channel 127
Noos (France)	Channel 48
Numericable (France)	Channel 95
Kabel Deutschland (Germany)
KBW (Germany)
Unity Media (Germany)
Welho (Finland)
Maxinetti (Finland)
BeTV (Belgium)
Coditel (Belgium, Luxembourg)
Cabovisão (Portugal)	Channel 72
UPC Poland	Channel 523
Elsat Poland	Channel 234
IPTV
Free[disambiguation needed] (France)	Channel 145
Orange	Mobile
Imagenio (Spain)	Channel 98
KPN (Netherlands)
meo (Portugal)	Channel 77
Internet television
Zattoo	PCE Zattoo

The Poker Channel is a dedicated gaming TV network and broadcasts to over 30 million TV homes in 30 countries.^[1]

The Channel is typically carried in the basic packages of cable and satellite operators in Europe and classified as a sport or entertainment channel in electronic programme guides (EPGs). It broadcasts 24 hours a day in all Continental Europe countries and 6.5 hours a day in the UK and Ireland on Sky Channel 166, in the entertainment section, adjacent to FX in the Sky EPG.

The Poker Channel was launched in the UK in March 2005 and broadcasts poker programming including major tournaments such as the World Series of Poker, instructional series, online events, documentaries, news and player profiles. Recently the channel was involved in the production of the PokerHeaven European Cash Game which featured poker cash game players from around Europe, including 2008 WSOP main event winner Peter Eastgate.

  History

The Poker Channel was formed in 2005 by Crispin Nieboer, ex Commercial Manager at British Sky Broadcasting, and James Hopkins, Sky Sports’ producer of rugby and poker. Hopkins was involved in the success of the first live poker tournament on television, The Poker Million, in 2000. The Channel recruited Chris White, ex Freemantle executive, as Commercial Director in 2006 to expand the company into European, Asian and Latin American markets.

The channel was first broadcast in the UK on channel number 265.^[2] Following an EPG re-structure by Sky in April 2006 the channel was moved to channel number 844 in Sky’s new ‘Gaming and Dating’ section.^[3] The move resulted in a loss in viewing figures. In an attempt to regain viewing figures The Poker Channel rebranded itself as All In Sport in August 2006. The rebranding resulted in a move to channel 444 in the Sports section of the Sky EPG. Due to Sky’s broadcasting rules the channel was only able to broadcast poker programming for 4 to 6 hours a day.

On 31 December 2006 the channel decided to cease broadcasting as a 24-hour channel on Sky due to Sky’s EPG re-structure and limitations on poker programming broadcast hours. On 1 March 2007, to capitalise on the popularity of poker in Europe, The Poker Channel launched as a free-to-air channel on cable platforms in France (Free and Numericable) and Germany (Kabel BW), and in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark on DTH satellite platform, Canal Digital. Later that year, The Poker Channel started a long-term partnership with Sky Channel 166 (Info TV Ltd) to broadcast poker programming in a late evening slot – which continues today, where the Poker Channel broadcasts between 9.30pm and 4am.

In late 2007, The Poker Channel increased distribution in Germany (Kabel Deutschland and Unity Media) and launched with cable platforms in Belgium (BeTV and Coditel), Luxembourg (Coditel), Iceland (Skjarinn), Malta (Melita Cable) and Spain (Imagenio). In 2008, the Channel expanded its footprint further in Finland (Welho, Maxinetti) and launched in the Netherlands, on KPN and in the digital basic package of UPC, adjacent to Eurosport in UPC’s EPG, as well as in Greece (OnTelecom) and on the online TV service, Zattoo, in various European countries including Switzerland.

In 2007, the channel also extended its presence online, setting up content and marketing partnerships with online video sites including Youtube, Dailymotion, Zattoo and Blinkx.

In September 2008 The Poker Channel re-launched their web site, PokerChannelEurope.com, in partnership with online video platform Brightcove. The partnership facilitates the delivery of free advertising-supported video content on poker. The Poker Channel recruited Paul Sandells in July 2008, former UK.PokerNews.com editor, as Editor in Chief of the site.

In 2009 and 2010 the Poker Channel continued to expand its availability in Europe, including launches on all cable platforms in Portugal (Zon, Meo, Cabovisao); Neufbox (SFR) in France; Austria Telekom, Vectra and UPC in Poland, and making the channel available to all subscribers of Focussat, DigiTV and UPC Direct in Eastern Europe in Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.

In 2010 Poker Channel partnered with media companies in Latin America to launch in Spanish language in Argentina and Mexico.

  Programming

The Poker Channel broadcasts a range of poker related programmes acquired from around the world such as the World Series of Poker, the World Series of Poker Europe, the Aussie Millions, The Irish Open, the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, the Great British Poker Tour, Poker Island TV .the World Series of Backgammon, The Million Dollar Cash Game, The Poker Nations Cup, World Poker Crown, The World Heads-up Championship and the World Poker Tour. The Poker Channel has also commissioned or produced poker programmes such as the PokerHeaven.com European Cash Game which featured WSOP 2008 winner Peter Eastgate, the British Poker Open, 12 Steps to Poker Heaven, and the European Poker Masters.

As of July 2010, the channel broadcasts on the following TV platforms:

The channel also has a three-hour overnight slot on CNBC Europe which broadcasts six nights a week and partnerships with other international sports and entertainment broadcasters such as TVC Deportes in Mexico.

  References

1. ^ http://www.igamingbusiness.com/article-detail.php?articleID=21091
2. ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a19245/poker-channel-to-launch-on-sky.html
3. ^ http://media247.co.uk/skydigital/newsarchive/2006/02/sky_epg_reshuff_1.php

  External links

• Poker Channel Europe