LAS VEGAS – JULY 30: Poker player Liz Lieu plays with her chips as she competes on the third day of the first round of the World Series of Poker no-limit Texas Hold ’em main event at the Rio Hotel & Casino July 30, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 8,600 players have registered to play in the main event. The final nine players will compete for the top prize of more than USD 11.7 million on the final table which begins August 10. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
NBCBy Ken Fang on

There was a time when it seemed like poker was on every network. If ESPN wasn’t airing poker, it was Fox Sports Net or NBC or CBS Sports Network. The amount of poker on TV has gone down compared to what it was before, but NBCSN will be back in the game this year with Poker Central programming.

The latest

The deal will allow NBCSN to air Poker Central on Monday nights, most likely in the summer. This will include the Super High Roller Bowl and other events. The Super High Roller Bowl will have 56 players vying for a piece of a $16.8 million pool.

This isn’t the first time NBCSN has aired Poker Central, as it did so back in 2015.

In addition to airing poker programming on TV, it will be streamed online through the NBC Sports app for mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs, as well as on NBCSports.com. The contract will allows the NBC Television Network to air some Poker Central events as well.

According to the official announcement, NBC Sports Group will be the home to additional events starting in the fall.

So it provides NBCSN with some original content during the summer, since the network doesn’t air baseball and depends heavily on the second half of the NASCAR season.

NBC Sports will give a big commitment to poker this summer and provide a home for those who love to see players get lucky or totally go bust.

[Multichannel News]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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