GSN Says No to Season VII of the World Poker Tour

It's the end of an era for the World Poker Tour.

The once popular poker show announced today that GSN has let its option for exclusive broadcast of the tour's seventh season expire. GSN says it is still considering broadcasting parts of Season VII.

According to a press release issued by the WPT today, the tour is "in discussions with several major networks to broadcast programming" from its next season and is looking to possibly broadcast events on multiple networks.

Press release after the jump.

WPT Enterprises Opens Discussions for Season VII Television Broadcast Rights

GSN Renewal Option Lapsed on June 7

LOS ANGELES---WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: WPTE - News) announced today that GSN’s option for exclusive broadcast of the entire World Poker Tour® (WPT) seventh season expired on Saturday.

GSN CEO David Goldhill said, “The World Poker Tour has been a great partner and the show continues to perform strongly on our network. We are continuing discussions with WPTE regarding how we may be able to work together – including perhaps broadcasting parts of Season VII.”

WPTE is currently in discussions with several major networks to broadcast programming from its landmark seventh season, which kicks off July 11 at the prestigious Bellagio in Las Vegas and runs through April 2009.

“We have enjoyed watching the show and our numbers grow on GSN. Our hope is that we can find ways to collaborate with the network long into the future,” said Steve Lipscomb, WPT Founder, President and CEO. “This may allow us the first opportunity to explore diversifying content on multiple networks like most sports leagues. We have already begun those discussions and look forward to making another season of the best and most widely distributed poker programming in the world to our dedicated viewers and fans.”

New Season VI episodes will continue to broadcast Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on GSN through late August. Encore episodes will continue to broadcast on the network for up to four years. Episodes of seasons II through V currently air on the Travel Channel.