Fox Sports Extends Tv Deal With Wpt

Deal will include soon-to-be-filmed episodes from Season VIII

Steve Lipscomb's World Poker Tour will continue to fill television screens for the forseeable future following an extension of the broadcast agreement between Fox Sports Network and the poker company signed this week.

The new deal will include episodes from Season VIII which begins filming in the middle of this year and will consist of 26 one-hour episodes.

"The World Poker Tour has a loyal and passionate fan base that has made the WPT one of the most popular programs on FSN," said FSN executive VP George Greenberg. "We're thrilled to be airing Season 8 and look forward to another great year of WPT championship poker."

WPT founder, president and CEO Steve Lipscomb said: "Fox Sports Net and News Corporation have far exceeded our partnership expectations and we are thrilled to continue growing our strategic relationship.

"Airing our eighth season on the nation's prime sports network truly underscores the force behind the WPT brand and poker as a televised sport."

FSN spokesmen said that the network saw good ratings last year from episodes from the WPT's first season, and episodes of ClubWPT.com.