New venue at Aria to feature poker, esports productions

Image

Poker Central

A rendering of the PokerGo Studio at the Aria, which will feature poker and esports productions.

Mon, Apr 9, 2018 (2 a.m.)

ESP Gaming and Poker Central are partnering to open a television studio on the Strip at Aria.

The more than 10,000-square-foot PokerGo Studio will feature poker and esports productions.

The venue includes a main studio, multiple sound stages, a break desk area and a streaming lounge. Up to 300 people can fit into the studio, with the ability to accommodate 120 fans and nine poker tables in studio for an event.

“Nearly a year ago we set out to create a digital-first poker network that would showcase some of the world’s best tournaments and lifestyle content — on and off the felt,” said JR McCabe, chief digital officer of Poker Central. “While this studio marks the fulfillment of that goal, it also doubles as a promise to our loyal viewers — to continually expand our programming slate.”

The studio builds off a strong year for Poker Central, as it recently expanded broadcast partnerships with ESPN and NBC Sports Network in addition to licensing the World Series of Poker in China.

Click to enlarge photo

A rendering of the PokerGo Studio at the Aria, which will feature poker and esports productions.

For ESP Gaming, which produces live gaming events for the NFL, the Olympics and the X Games, among others, having a facility to showcase the best in esports — including its Vainglory Premier League — was a necessity.

“With the demand for our esports production services continuing to grow, we needed a home to host more tournaments and competitions at broadcast-quality levels so we could continue to deliver the best-in-class esports content to audiences worldwide,” said Jeff Liboon, president of ESP Gaming. "This partnership with Poker Central gives us the ability to bring the best in live esports to new fans and create a preeminent location for developers to elevate their leading titles from game to sport.”

The studio, named after PokerGo, Poker Central’s subscription service that produces over 100 days of live poker per year, will see its first production, a “Poker After Dark” episode May 16-18.

Back to top

Share