Players pay money so TV broadcasts could make money??

[franco]

See if I got this right? A player pays $10,000, plus expenses to play in a professional poker tournament. Then the casino/event producer sells TV rights to that event to a network? Then Casino/producer keeps most of that money? Network sells commercial time and keeps most of that money? And none of this money goes back to the players?

I'm new to poker, but not new to broadcasting. What a sweat deal for everyone involved but the players. We pay those maniacs on Fear Factor. We pay the idiots on the screaming shows. We pay ballclubs to broadcast their games.

But we don't pay the professional poker players (they have to do additional work and win!)? I know they get some equity from the face time, but that money doesn't compare to what they could get if they charged for their participation. Sweat deal.