The Poker Channel
| The Player Channel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 23 March 2005 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Broadcast area | Europe |
| Website | ThePlayerChannel.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 |
| Numericable (France) | Channel 95 |
| Cabovisão (Portugal) | Channel 72 |
| UPC Poland | Channel 523 |
| Elsat Poland | Channel 234 |
| IPTV | |
| Freebox TV (France) | Channel 145 |
| Orange | Mobile |
| Movistar TV (Spain) | Channel 98 |
| meo (Portugal) | Channel 77 |
| Streaming media | |
| Zattoo | PCE Zattoo |
The Player Channel, known as the Poker Channel until 3 December 2012, is a gaming TV network which broadcast to over 30 million households in 30 countries.
The Channel was 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 broadcast 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 broadcast poker programming including major tournaments such as the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, instructional series, online events, documentaries, news and player profiles.
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. 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. 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 (Movistar TV). 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.
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