CBS Sports Renews Poker Night in America for Two More Seasons; Moves to Monday Nights
Good news to fans of poker on TV. Poker Night in America (PNIA) has been picked up by CBS Sports Network for two more seasons. In addition, the network will move episodes to Monday nights at 10 p.m. EST. The move came after PNIA, which debuted on Sunday nights, was delayed numerous times in Season 1 by rodeo broadcasts that ran long.
"As for the show, you’ll be seeing some changes starting with Season 2," said PNIA's Todd Anderson in a statement. "The graphics will be undergoing a transformation. We’ll be going to a more traditional format in showing the players and their hole cards. I think it’s safe to say that the show will always be a work in progress and we’ll continue to make it better."
PNIA debuted on television back in June, and since then have aired 29 episodes on CBS Sports Network. The season will kick off with their event from Maryland Live! Casino, which took place last July. Other highlights amongst the 26 episodes include Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak, and movie critic Richard Roeper reviewing films at Turning Stone Resort & Casino; Phil Hellmuth getting called a “cucumber” at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh; and the season-ending Ladies Night event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
"Everyone had a really great time and the livestream was a hit," Anderson said of Ladies Night. "I guess we might have to do that again sometime."
Another good bit of news for PNIA was 888poker returning as the title sponsor for at least two more season.
"We couldn’t have done this without our friends at 888poker," Anderson admitted.
PNIA's good news comes a month after the production lost a valued member of their family, Joe Sartori, a veteran in the poker industry who had spent the past two years working full-time for the show. Sartori, 55, passed unexpectedly a short time after being diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer.
"I saw him in Vegas over G2E the first week in October and less then four weeks later he passed away after a brief fight with cancer," Anderson said of his friend. "Joe was easily one of the best guys I’ve ever known. He is missed."
For more on Sartori and his legacy, click here.
With a new deal in place and Season 2 in the can, PNIA plans to film 52 new episodes in 2015. For more information visit PokerNight.com.
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