The poker community is outraged by the paid access to the final table of the WSOP Main Event
Date: 2023-07-27 Categories: POKER, PEOPLE
Many players took to social media to express their disappointment after chess and poker streamer Alexandra Botez tweeted that it would be better for poker in general if it were free to watch.
Is the copyright holder responsible for the development of the game?
The key argument of Alexandra Botez and others is that this hurts the development of the game and misses a great opportunity to get more people to play during the most prestigious tournament of the year.
Botez's criticism is directly directed at PokerGO, which owns the rights to broadcast the World Series of Poker. The question is, are they really responsible for the development of the game?
While some fans are willing to pay to see the final table, others believe it should be available to everyone. The controversy sparked discussion about the future of poker and how it can continue to evolve as a sport. Despite the pay-per-view, the WSOP Main Event final table still attracts a lot of attention, with many people tuning in to watch the action.
Of course, not everyone agrees that PokerGO should be cornered after paying for the rights. In any case, this argument should be placed on Caesar's doorstep. But many big names have joined the discussion, including former Facebook chief executive Chamath Palihapitiya.
“I agree with you 100%. The revenue model of the entire free network (Google, Facebook) is related to expanding the audience and adding “lookalike audiences” to the main audience. The premise only works if your free content increases your total audience enough that when you monetize this new, larger group, you make a profit and thus keep doing so.
“Google and Facebook earnings suggest this is value maximization and it works for most companies/content owners. Poker should be streamed for free to as many people as possible so that more people love the game. Throw in some good comments from @Ali_Nejad and @NickSchulman and you'll have a new Monday Night Football in your hands…”
Some have argued that showing the main event for free and with advertisements, like on television, would be a normal step forward. Others felt that the tournament had taken on a more lottery character due to the fact that it had grown, and therefore the whole thing was meaningless anyway. It's probably fair to say that a significant proportion of serious poker players have failed to name the last 10 WSOP Main Event champions.
GazyB added, “I think they do a great job of offering it for free on YouTube for a few hours and then trying to convert those viewers into subscribers. They have every right to charge a fee for the services they provide.”
It was also noted that the Main Event was free to watch between 2011 and 2017 and there was not even a hint of a poker boom in those years.
For now, we can expect things to remain as they are, but PokerGO will certainly be following this discussion.
Is the copyright holder responsible for the development of the game?
The key argument of Alexandra Botez and others is that this hurts the development of the game and misses a great opportunity to get more people to play during the most prestigious tournament of the year.
Botez's criticism is directly directed at PokerGO, which owns the rights to broadcast the World Series of Poker. The question is, are they really responsible for the development of the game?
While some fans are willing to pay to see the final table, others believe it should be available to everyone. The controversy sparked discussion about the future of poker and how it can continue to evolve as a sport. Despite the pay-per-view, the WSOP Main Event final table still attracts a lot of attention, with many people tuning in to watch the action.
Of course, not everyone agrees that PokerGO should be cornered after paying for the rights. In any case, this argument should be placed on Caesar's doorstep. But many big names have joined the discussion, including former Facebook chief executive Chamath Palihapitiya.
“I agree with you 100%. The revenue model of the entire free network (Google, Facebook) is related to expanding the audience and adding “lookalike audiences” to the main audience. The premise only works if your free content increases your total audience enough that when you monetize this new, larger group, you make a profit and thus keep doing so.
“Google and Facebook earnings suggest this is value maximization and it works for most companies/content owners. Poker should be streamed for free to as many people as possible so that more people love the game. Throw in some good comments from @Ali_Nejad and @NickSchulman and you'll have a new Monday Night Football in your hands…”
Joey Ingram offered a more balanced opinion that looked at both sides of the dispute.
GazziB, however, was the rudest of all…
GazyB added, “I think they do a great job of offering it for free on YouTube for a few hours and then trying to convert those viewers into subscribers. They have every right to charge a fee for the services they provide.”
It was also noted that the Main Event was free to watch between 2011 and 2017 and there was not even a hint of a poker boom in those years.
For now, we can expect things to remain as they are, but PokerGO will certainly be following this discussion.
