Poker fad already fading?

[revots33]

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8773

Quote from the article:

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The conceptual twist exemplifies how fresh treatments are now required to get a poker series on the air. After two years of booming ratings and more press coverage than any other programming trend this side of reality TV, the televised poker audience is, in many cases, dropping.

Travel Channel's "World Poker Tour" was down 17 percent in total viewers watching first-run episodes during its 2005 season, compared with 2004, according to Nielsen Media Research. ESPN's "World Series of Poker" is down 14 percent season to date. CNBC's "Heads Up Poker" tournament is down 18 percent. And among the three iterations of GSN's own "Poker Royale" series, most are similarly down.

And those are the success stories.

The syndicated effort "Ultimate Poker Challenge" is struggling, having been relegated to early-morning slots in major markets. E! debuted "Hollywood Poker Night" this summer but has not renewed the program. CMT's "Dead Man's Hand," like several announced poker projects, died in development.

The only series that bucked the trend was Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," which increased 12 percent, though its overall audience is much smaller than the ESPN or Travel Channel shows.

The question for networks and producers now is whether the numbers signal a downward slide or merely the stabilization after an impossible-to-sustain boom.

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I think, like every other fad, poker got too overexposed. Remember the tv show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" It was a huge hit when it was on 1 night a week. Then as usual the tv execs killed the golden goose by putting it on almost every single night. Went from #1 to off the air in a few months.

My feeling is that people who imagine there will be a never-ending supply of fish thanks to poker on tv are in for a rude awakening. Fads don't last forever - and they usually end quickly once the "it" factor is gone. Actually, I wouldn't be too suprised if the WPT is no longer on the air in 3 years.

[POKhER]

Yeh it'll die, but people will always think "Yeah ill have a shot at the game".

17 year olds will turn 18, 209 year olds will turn 21... Cash in etc.

I think its sliding now(I heard Party sign ups have fallen big time anyhow?).

Get it whilst its hot [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Mr_J]

Problem with your arguement is that online poker isn't a fad.

[primetime32]

You people don't see the diffference between TV poker and online poker?

People's urge to gamble is not a fad. Just because people (like myself) find TV poker to be less and less enjoyable, that does not mean that i am playing less and less poker.

[revots33]

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Problem with your arguement is that online poker isn't a fad.

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That's debatable. If the game itself is no longer the "hot" thing on tv and in popular culture, do you really think that will have no effect on online poker? Just because 2+2ers plan to continue playing regardless of poker's overall popularity, doesn't mean everyone else will.

[lonn19]

[ QUOTE ]
You people don't see the diffference between TV poker and online poker?

People's urge to gamble is not a fad. Just because people (like myself) find TV poker to be less and less enjoyable, that does not mean that i am playing less and less poker.

[/ QUOTE ]
Couldn't have said it better. There is a big difference between the decline of ratings of televised poker and the desire of people to play poker.

[ChipWrecked]

Seems weird to think there was actually discussion around poker tables at one point asking, "Think anybody'll watch this 'World Poker Tour' thing?"

with the extreme overexposure of poker what's to say the viewing population in general is the same or even increasing, just that it is spread out thinner because of all the new shows coming out. I for one stopped watching wsop and wpt, because I'm playing poker instead. I think this is a market where they took a big hit. watching poker was fun when I didn't play it. Now I'd rather be online then checking out the main event.

[Mr_J]

I didn't say the popularity of tv poker doesn't influence the popularity of online poker, but online poker definately doesn't rely on it. You don't see online sportsbooks or casino's relying on tv coverage to survive. Online gambling is a HUGE industry, and the nets biggest industry apart from porn (or is it larger now?).

Online gambling isn't a fad, just like online banking or online shopping aren't fads.

I doubt TV poker will stay as high as it is now, but there's room for it to evolve into a different animal.

I'm sure when NFL football became a TV staple in the 1960s, most people weren't familiar with defensive schemes, quarterback reads against a possible blitz, etc, etc., but became interested in them as part of watching the game.

If there are enough people interested enough in poker to play it, there'll be interest in perhaps a more advanced level of analysis on TV and watch for more than the suck-out dances and Poker Brat bellyaching.

I mean, hell, if golf can stick around as a TV sport, why not poker?