The World Poker Tour (WPT) now has the ability to attract more younger views thanks to the Sinclair Broadcasting Group and the launch of its new online streaming service.
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Poker fans have another way to watch the WPT thanks to a new online streaming service called STIRR. (Image: Bicycle Casino)
The platform known as STIRR went live on January 16 and provides free, on-demand streaming of various sports and poker. Alongside WPT action, STIRR users will get to watch coverage of professional and college sports such as basketball and football.
Tech Innovations Give WPT New Flow
On top of sport, the streaming service will feature 18 additional national networks, including NASA TV, Outdoor America and MovieMix, as well as regional stations.
Describing the platform, General Manager Adam Ware said the plan is to provide access to 50 networks “on all the major food groups.” In practice, this means STIRR will be available on a variety of online and mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, Roku and Apple TV.
Although this isn’t the first time US audiences have had access to live and on-demand streams of the WPT, it does pair the tour with a major national operator. What’s more, it will make the WPT part of a rapidly growing sector within the poker industry.
Streams Over TV for Younger Generation
As well as players such as Jason Somerville showing off their skills to Twitch’s 100 million+ users, PokerStars, Partypoker and the WSOP offer content on the network. By providing live and on-demand Twitch streams, poker brands have attracted new support from gamers and those who consume the majority of the content online.
Results published by Pew Research Center in 2017 show that 61 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 now choose online streaming over TV. In line with these figures, a 2017 Nielsen report found that the same age group now watch less than two hours of traditional TV per day.
Picking up on this trend, Poker Central launched the PokerGo app in 2017. Costing $10 a month or $99 for an annual subscription, the platform now shows classics such as Poker After Dark as well as original content.
For fans of poker, STIRR will be free. After downloading the app or visiting the STIRR website, users can register an account and watch episodes of the WPT, as well as hundreds of other shows via their TV, desktop or mobile.
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