The World Poker Tour’s established three-pillar strategy for creating extraordinary live events, distributing the highest level of poker content, and utilizing innovative online monetization methods is coming to a Latin American audience on July 12.

The World Poker Tour today announced the arrival date of WPT® television programming and social gaming in Latin America across a wealth of distribution channels via TV Azteca. On Friday, July 12, World Poker Tour’s Season IX will debut on TV Azteca’s Channel 7 in the coveted 11:00 p.m. local time slot.

This announcement comes on the heels of TV Azteca entering into a term sheet with the World Poker Tour’s sister company, Allied Esports. The term sheet provides for TV Azteca to become a shareholder of Allied Esports, a global esports entertainment company, through $5 million equity investment in Black Ridge Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BRAC). As previously announced, Allied Esports and WPT, both currently owned by Ourgame International Holdings Limited, will be acquired, once all applicable shareholder and regulatory consents have been obtained, by Black Ridge Acquisition Corp. to form Allied Esports Entertainment.

The TV Azteca-distributed WPT television show will complement WPTGO, the social poker gaming site jointly developed by TV Azteca and WPT specifically for the Latin American online and mobile gaming marketplace. The intended timing of WPTGO’s release will be contemporaneous with the premiere date of the WPT television show on Channel 7.

WPTGO, which we believe will be the first social poker gaming platform created exclusively for the Spanish-speaking community, will include poker, casino games, and education, and will incorporate a new rewards program.

As previously announced, the World Poker Tour and TV Azteca entered into a multi-faceted deal to bring the WPT’s poker content library to a massive Latin American audience. The debut of the World Poker Tour television show on TV Azteca and the launch of WPTGO will be the first steps of a long-term approach to bring the premier name in poker to millions of homes throughout Latin America.

The WPT television show’s premiere date on TV Azteca, and the launch of WPTGO, ties to the strategic pillars first established when the strategic agreement was signed in March 2019. WPT and TV Azteca are committed to continuing the growth of the WPT’s globally renowned poker content through localizing it for the Latin American market, and monetizing the WPT brand-name across Latin America through WPTGO and WPT-branded merchandise in retail stores throughout the region. In addition, WPT and TV Azteca remain aligned in their efforts to bring live WPT events to Latin America. Timing for events as part of the world-class WPT LATAM Tour will be announced at a later date.

WPT’s episodes will be localized for the Latin America market, featuring Spanish-speaking talent delivering the action for TV Azteca viewers. Inés Sainz, a Mexican television personality and a journalist for Azteca Deportes, will anchor the show. Commentating alongside Sainz will be Santiago González Álvarez and professional poker player Angel Guillén. Guillén is a recognized high stakes player and a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, who will bring his poker expertise to the TV Azteca audience.

TV Azteca is the number-one sports network in Mexico and controls more than 40 local broadcast and regional free-to-air stations, as well as providing cable packages, including Netflix and HBO, for the region. TV Azteca’s free-to-air stations reach over 95 percent of the Mexican market and have the potential to make WPT appointment programming. WPT will air on TV Azteca’s Channel 7 immediately following weekly futbol coverage, which we believe will reach an unprecedented audience throughout the region.

“The deal between the World Poker Tour and TV Azteca reaches an incredible level of activation with the commencement of the WPT television show and launch of WPTGO across Latin America,” Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour, said. “The continued growth of the alliance between WPT and TV Azteca allows us to further expand our content and social poker gaming assets to this burgeoning Latin American audience and grow the game of poker in ways never previously imagined. It is my pleasure to formally welcome Inés Sainz, Santiago González Álvarez, and Angel Guillén to the WPT Family and watch them reach viewers across Latin America.”

For more information regarding the World Poker Tour, head to WPT.com.