World Poker Tour moving channels

Fred I'm not sure if the Palms event is scheduled for Season 2 or 3.But you must make the final table to get your mug on TV.Or you could run across the set streaking and that might get you on TV or at least a night in jail where they will take your picture for sure.


Joep

 

You never answered Tex's question. Where do you get your information? Because it's wrong. If you did about 1 minute of research, you'd learn that there are four sweeps periods on television and none of them are in September. Why do you make things up? Why are you so afraid of the truth? Does anyone have any verification of anything Joe says about anything? Your information on UBT's ratings and World Poker Tour ratings is wrong, too. Where'd you get that information? Made it up, huh? Here comes more name calling but no facts.

 

Read the All In article about the UBT ratings.

UBT on CBS had very high ratings, for that time slot. In fact it was the highest ratings CBS had IN THAT TIME SLOT.

GH those aren't fabricated facts they are real. The problems occur when you compare an outlet, CBS with access to 99% of households to Travel Channel with access to 50% of households to GSN with access to 35% of households (these numbers are MY guesstimations - just to be clear) Clearly apples to oranges.

GH why do you attack Joe so quickly and harshly

If you REALLY have something nasty to say, take it to HD's site - always a fun time there

 

Germ man I see that your whole life here on BJT continues to revolve around me what a joke.:joker:

You intentionally mis quoted me what I said was

"Sweeps Week is in Sept I believe"

But that is to be expected just like how I can get you to crawl out from under your rock and rear your head like clockwork every time you respond to one of my post. Do you sit like a tired old man wanting for me to post something that you can try to "Poke" me about? Have you ever seen me direct any original post at you ? NO because you never contribute any thing here except

BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA

Stop wasting everyones time here with your "CRUD" post, we do have some sort of standards here try to abide by them


Joep

 

Fact#1) I believe??

You left off the word FACT from the "Sweeps Week is in Sept I believe" Did you do that intentionally? :joker: Was it a fact you believe or and unbelievable fact? LOL

 

You know if it wasn't for you and the other clown that post here I would have almost nothing to do.

Why don't you and germ man get together and share Joep stories you seem to always have some to share,while you at it you can teach Germ how to split 5-5 :joker:

What a joke you guys are !!!!


Joep

 

Joep do you now what this mark means "?"

If you go back and read what I posted were questions (note the 3 question marks "?"). Please don't get upset about members asking questions here, (even me). All that was asked of you was simple questions and nothing to get upset over. There were no statements other then yours, so it wasn't me that was wrong. However you did answer those 3 questions after your comment and I thank you for that. But you forgot to answer where you got your stat's for the TV ratings and if you wanted to take me up on that bet.

 

Some Ratings Background

I'm going to stick my nose in here only to offer some perspective on how ratings work and why you shouldn't necessarily look at numbers out of context. As I'm typing this, I'm shaking my head since I really don't want to get into the middle of a pissing match. But the way I see it, most of you know far more about blackjack than I do, so perhaps I can speak with some authority about how television ratings work and you'll spare me the name calling.

You really can't look at ratings numbers in a vacuum. You have to put them in context. There's probably a way to spin just about anything into sounding like a ratings success or failure. If you put a UBT episode on after American Idol and it lost 75% of that audience, those numbers would be huge. But that would be a disaster for FOX and they'd cancel the show immediately.

I'm not sure how All In is coming up with the numbers you're throwing around, but from the data I have from Nielsen, the ratings for Saturday airings of UBT are 44% lower than CBS saw in that time period in the previous year. I'd seriously question any claim that it was CBS' highest rated show ever.

But it's equally unfair to use that 44% number I cite without context. Some of those time periods, for example, were for NCAA Basketball Tournament games. CBS shells out millions for the rights to those, so they had better perform a lot better than UBT episodes do. Now don't turn around and start saying that UBT episodes do 56% of the number that March Madness games do, because that time period also had things like skiiing and ice skating. As I said, you can spin the numbers however you'd like.

That's why you really have to read the fine print. Where'd you get your data from is not an unreasonable question to ask. I haven't seen the All In Magazine source you cite, but the raw numbers from Nielsen don't support a claim that the UBT received CBS' highest ratings ever in that time slot.

I don't want to bash All In in any way. In a recent interview with Phil Hellmuth, they were quick to correct him when he misquoted ratings of both High Stakes Poker on GSN and UBT ratings on CBS. The highest rated UBT show ran on Christmas Day. As you'd imagine, there are unique ratings situations for that day and it's not really far to compare that day, which was a Monday in 2006, to all other Mondays. Far fewer people are working which means far more people are watching television. That's why most television networks care far more about how they do at 9:00 pm than they do 11:00 am.

Also, I doubt any show at any time can match the ratings that CBS did 30 years ago. Then, there were three networks. Now there are more than 100. Add the internet, video games, DVD rentals, and there's far more competition for eyeballs than there was then. Shows now celebrate ratings that used to get you cancelled.

There's also the matter of demographics. If UBT ran on Lifetime, they'd have far fewer male viewers, and my guess is lower ratings. If it was on MTV, it'd attract a younger audience, which my guess is the folks behind UBT wouldn't like because people under 21 can't play blackjack legally anyway. So if UBT is getting high ratings but it's all 16 year old girls, that's not doing them any good. And no, I'm not saying that's the case either. But I personally have been associated with shows that I could spin great numbers stories for, but they've been cancelled because they're not achieving what's needed in terms of the big picture.

If anyone has a rational, reasonable, and fair question, I'll do my best to answer it here or privately. When we put together the first World Series of Blackjack in 2003, I found this forum to be a wonderful and valuable resource. Do all of us a favor and keep it that way and stop with the personal attacks and lies. That's not directed at any one person in particular...I just can't believe the amount of garbage that's on here. If some of you spent as much time practicing your blackjack skills as you do trying to act like big shots on the other end of a computer, I'm certain you'd have a lot more money. Here's an idea. The next time you read something here that makes you want to react by insulting that person, questioning their manhood, attempting to humiliate them, or attacking them, put aside five dollars. Then take a deep breath and walk away from the computer and don't come back until you're ready to just roll your eyes and move on. Once that money adds up, give it to the charity of your choice. You'll be doing something good and keeping this place what it's designed for. And that's not to be a 3rd grade playground.

 

You d'man!

Excellent post Mr. Belinkoff, thank you for some much needed balance.

Cheers

Reachy

 

Agreed!

Yes, Mr. Belinkoff, that was an excellent post, and thanks for some "inside" info about TV ratings. I also got a healthy chuckle at the remarks regarding the 3rd grade playground. Sometimes threads in this forum manage to degenerate into a Jerry Springer-like discussion - minus the food fights! :laugh:

My interest in the airing of the UBT shows is strictly selfish, and I apologize for this in advance. I've got a rather large social circle here in my hometown, mostly through the community of bowlers, and every single person is excited and eagerly anticipating my appearance on the show. Deb's, too, after the Palms taping in two weeks. A local sports pub has offered to give us the run of the place on a Saturday night after the shows are broadcast so that there can be one huge celebratory UBT party, where the taped episodes will be shown on multiple huge-screen TV's for the partygoers. Right now, it appears that about 150 people will be there. Obviously, I'm the "point man" for letting everyone know when the shows will be broadcast. And, at this point, I can't tell 'em diddly squat. :juggle:

 

Kevin,

Thanks for your professional explanation of a rather convoluted topic, i.e., ratings.

As far as the All In article, I quote from page 8 in the February/March edition:

Now I don’t have your expertise with ratings but having read that I would come to the same conclusion that Joep did. I guess it just goes to show that things are relative. I do appreciate your very in depth and professional explanation. As a side note I highly doubt anyone would attack you for clarification.

Since you did take the time to post here I was wondering if you could shed some information about the following:

1. Why did GSN make the decision to pick up WPT when you already have a POKER program on your network?

2. For comparison purposes what percentage of household have GSN versus Travel channel versus CBS (I PROMISE not to drag you into a UBT discussion I’m just curious about this point)

3. When is the WSOB planning on airing?

4. I heard that there was a single episode of BJT taped during the WSOB and it was entitled WBT (World Blackjack Tour) is that incorrect and when is it scheduled to air?

5. The World Poker Tour (WPT) – I’ve seen it on TV and give it a thumbs up (I think the hosts do a great job). Who does that? Who sponsors it? Will GSN be responsible for “sponsoring it” in the future? Or is the WPT a private endeavor, like UBT, that just runs poker tournaments and sells that shows?

6. Are there any plans for a WSOB for 2008 with possible satellites? I know you can’t give places and dates until contracts are signed but from a planning stage could you give us a look into the inside workings, maybe a goal that some of us could look forward to?

 

Communications 101

Thank you KBelinkoff for a great contribution/post. Would it not be great if UBT would similarly appoint an official and credible spokeperson that would represent them on this site without the constant spinning, frustrating misinformation and lack of information? Should that not be an integral part of any business venture that interfaces with a consuming public?
It would be simply great business to take advantage of the internet's premier website for BJT's.
I guess the same would apply with Bet21/Ultimate Bet but I am not holding my breath.:joker: :joker: :joker:

 

I would think season two

Since the Palms UBT event will be later this month (April) and the two winners will win their $10,000 seats into the 2nd season's final (which won't be until later this year, November I believe) I would have to assume that the Palms would be part of the 2nd season.

If not it would sure be hard to explain if one of the Palms April winners made the 2nd season Championship finals and they were to say they qualified from season 3...LOL

 

Some Answers

To answer some questions that have been sent to me both privately and in public:

All In says the UBT show on Christmas was the highest rated gambling show ever and the highest rated show on CBS in that time slot. Is this true?
Respectfully, that's not what All In magazine says at all, and I'm not sure how anyone could interpret it that way. It does say the show received a 1.4 rating on Christmas day which corresponds to the data that I have. While I don't have information on how that time period performs historically, I can tell you the show that aired immediately before it had a rating more than twice that. So whether you want to consider that 1.4 rating good news all depends on your point of view. As for the claim that it's "probably the highest rated gambling show of all time"...and note the word probably...that still depends on your interpretation. Episodes of both World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker have exceeded that number. But a 1.4 on CBS and a 1.4 on ESPN or Travel Channel or GSN are not necessarily the same thing. Also, as you've probably noticed, almost every cable network runs shows multiple times. So while that 1.4 on CBS represents more viewers than may have seen a premiere episode of other programs, the total number of viewers who watched that UBT episode may be less than the number of viewers who have seen an individual episode of shows like World Poker Tour, High Stakes Poker, and, yes, World Series of Blackjack.

Why did GSN make the decision to pick up WPT when you already have a Blackjack program on your network?
World Poker Tour represents one of the great franchises on television. With the success of our Monday night lineup of High Stakes Poker and World Series of Blackjack, the chance to add a major player like WPT can only bring more attention to those other shows. I'm not sure how much information I can disclose, but I can say that High Stakes Poker is our highest rated show in the key demos we're looking for and we know World Poker Tour will help us expand on those.

For comparison purposes what percentage of household have GSN versus Travel channel versus CBS?
There are about 110 million homes with televisions in the US. Travel Channel is in about 84 million homes. GSN is in roughly 63 million homes (and I must throw in we're the highest rated cable network that's in under 70 million homes). But these numbers can change. When I started at GSN 5 years ago, we were in 30 million homes. That's another reason why we acquired World Poker Tour. Its loyal audience will bring new attention to the network, find shows like World Series of Blackjack and High Stakes Poker, and really define us as the gaming destination on television.

When is the WSOB planning on airing?
World Series of Blackjack IV premieres June 4 at 8 pm Eastern. Currently, you can watch repeats of WSOBJ III on Mondays at 8 to get you ready for this year's contest!

I heard that there was a single episode of BJT taped during the WSOB and it was entitled WBT (World Blackjack Tour) is that incorrect and when is it scheduled to air?
This is the second year of the World Blackjack Tour on television and the show is schedule to air in September.

The World Poker Tour (WPT) – I’ve seen it on TV and give it a thumbs up (I think the hosts do a great job). Who does that? Who sponsors it? Will GSN be responsible for “sponsoring it” in the future? Or is the WPT a private endeavor, like UBT, that just runs poker tournaments and sells that shows?
The World Poker Tour is a public company (WBTE). They have a number of different endeavors under that umbrella, the television show being one of them. We're thrilled to be in business with them.

What are WPTs ratings? Are they really only a .2 to .5?
No. Premiere episodes of the show have ranged from a low of .51 to a high of 1.50 with an average of .86. Consider Travel Channel's prime time average is a .4 and you see why World Poker Tour is a tremendous success story.

Are there any plans for a WSOB for 2008 with possible satellites? I know you can’t give places and dates until contracts are signed but from a planning stage could you give us a look into the inside workings, maybe a goal that some of us could look forward to?
We won't have any news on World Series of Blackjack V until this year's broadcasts are underway...so be sure to watch starting on June 4! We're busy getting those shows ready...and I can say they're incredibly exciting with a great group of players with some incredible action and fascinating story lines. You'll see some familiar faces...some new faces...and some unbelievable competition. So be sure and watch!

Ok, I'm going to crawl back into the shadows for now. Good luck to everyone...and behave yourselves.

 

Sounds to me

you are doing one heck of a job there at GSN KBelinkoff. This WPT deal will not only, IMO, expand your viewership by a substantial amount but this will also help the WSOB because the WPT will help expose the gambling audience to the WSOB thru the phenomenal success of the WPT. This is an important event for BJT, JMO.

Congrats.

 

Joep some people get worried when you throw you weight around! :joker:

 

Kevin, is that true? Is there a possibility of no more WSOB?

 

For any television show, ratings are a primary factor when deciding whether we're going to make more. So anything's possible. As was mentioned here, the best way to ensure a future for the World Series of Blackjack is to support it by watching it and playing in the tournaments that support it.