Q & A: Christopher White

The Poker Channel (TPC), a U.K.-based, poker-specific television station, on Feb. 23 announced plans to launch the channel into six new European territories from March 1. While TPC does not offer I-gaming services proper, it does afford I-gaming companies sponsorship and advertisement opportunities targeting the gaming-inclined. With the U.K. government set to allow televised gambling ads from September 2007, TPC is well positioned to market online gaming to both the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. IGN spoke with TPC commercial director Christopher White about the company's recent activities, its business post-U.S. legislation, the Placanica decision and more.

"I think we're finding that the fallout from the United States is helping the European market grow in some respects."

IGN: Can you speak briefly about the company's background and present focus?

White: In March 2005 TPC launched on the Sky digital platform in the United Kingdom, which reaches 8.2 million homes. We felt that the time was ripe after two years on that platform to extend into six new Eurpoean territories with the same remit, effectively, and that is to provide 24/7 poker programming--a mix of major tournaments and educational, how-to programming.

IGN: How has the company found the market post-U.S. legislation?

White: I think we're finding that the fallout from the United States is helping the European market grow in some respects. There's certainly more sponsorship activity than there was, and obviously we're set to benefit from that because we're offering this platform to market online poker sites where possible.

IGN: What is TPC's current position on I-gaming advertisements?

White: We don't carry any advertisements currently; they're illegal in both the United Kingdom and elsewhere … but what we can carry perfectly legally are, for example, dot-com-branded shows, where you see dot-com on the flop, you see dot-com on the banners behind players' heads, because the dot-coms there are event sponsors. So, we carry programs of that sort from the likes of Party Poker. We're also sponsored by Full Tilt--we're sponsored by all the major poker sites, really. And we can carry those shows into Europe as the regulations covering us are the EU regulations, the Television Without Frontiers Directive, which allows U.K. regulation to cover channels that are broadcast out of the United Kingdom into Europe.

IGN: How did the company react to the Placanica ruling?

White: It's a little too early to say. I think the general consensus was that it was quite a heartening ruling for the industry in Europe. It sets precedent.

IGN: What are TPC's plans in light of the U.K. Gambling Act?

White: It's an interesting development. In September 2007, we will see a change of regulation in the United Kingdom. The Act will allow advertisements of poker sites between programs, so that will certainly change things. It's hard to say how much (or little) ad revenue will jump, but we certainly expect that to help us, to benefit us, our sponsors and our advetisers.

IGN: Does TPC have any U.S.-facing ventures planned?

White: In the current climate, none of our sponsors would want to, in our view--maybe there are a few exceptions--actively market to the United States. So, it would make little sense to broadcast there at this stage. Obviously the programs themselves are 'watchable' and popular worldwide, but for now it's probably less a commercial incentive for us.