Players Network, a leader in the industry of “gaming lifestyle,” has announced their partnership with the National League of Poker (NLOP) to invent a new online poker site under the Players Network brand. This new online poker room will, like NLOP.com, bring legal and free online poker to the world. Even without real money stakes and tournament buy-ins, there is still plenty of money to be won (due to sponsorships and advertisements that this type of site runs off of), with cash prizes to the tune of $50,000.
Apparently, NLOP will manage and operate the legal online poker room, but Players Network will be compensated through a percentage of the advertisements, a monthly fee on each player, and a substantial piece of the revenue made off VIP subscriptions that provide players with access to premium services and content. In addition, Players Network will have rights to the site’s registration database to market their services to. Players Network’s president of programming, Michael Berk, explains in a CNNMoney.com article that with the “unparalleled ability to run ads for ‘Players Network’s Poker Club’ on our proprietary programming in over 22 million TV homes in the US, 121 million TV homes in Europe, and on our Broadband and Mobile platforms, Players Network has the ability to reach more potential members than any other poker site out there.”
Trying to explain exactly what role Players Network plays in the industry of “gaming lifestyle” is rather difficult because their reach is so widespread. The company’s “About Us” page states this:
The “gaming lifestyle” category includes travel, entertainment, music, performance, dining, spas, shows, legal gaming, tournaments, vacations & travel and celebrities from the music, sports and gaming areas. Players Network will do for gaming what ESPN did for sports, MTV did for music, CNN did for news and Nickelodeon to children’s programming.”
NLOP, on the other hand is very easy to understand. They are the industry leader for providing free and legal online poker play in the US through their social gaming platform. The keyword here is “social.” NLOP has successfully created an “interactive social network for poker players,” says Berk. This phenomenon is sort of like a cross between MySpace and a chat room at an online bingo Togel Singapore parlor, which is more about the social aspect than the game of bingo, in most cases. There is something to be said about doing the right thing, as NLOP’s players feel good about playing poker there.
There is little doubt that this new alliance will play a major part in the future of poker and come out of it successful, on top of helping to move poker forward in spite of its negative connotation that unfortunately holds the game back.
