World Series of Poker returning to ESPN beginning July 2 - ESPN

The World Series of Poker is back on ESPN.

On Thursday, ESPN and the World Series of Poker announced a multiyear agreement to bring the competition back to the media outlet's platforms this summer. The new deal is highlighted by more than 100 hours of coverage of the main event beginning on July 2, culminating in a three-night linear finale for the final table from Aug. 3 to 5.

Early-round coverage of the main event will include three simultaneous featured tables, allowing viewers to see more hands from the top players as they make their way through the tournament. World Series of Poker CEO Ty Stewart touted a «high-paced viewing experience» with the new broadcasts.

«It's with great pride that the WSOP is coming home to ESPN,» Stewart said in an email. «The legacy of this partnership helped the game explode and we can't wait to deliver inspiration through world class content to a new generation of viewers.»

ESPN first broadcast the main event in 1987 and has been involved in some capacity in every decade since. For much of the partnership's history, the broadcaster aired the entire tournament on a tape delay, but in 2008, the pair decided to experiment by pushing the final table several months to November, with the final players being referred to as «the November Nine.»

Stewart sees the new August grand finale as a spiritual successor to that concept, with the three-week timeline being long enough to build hype, but short enough to maintain momentum. In another callback to the original format, ESPN also plans to air edited episodes with «expansive storytelling and programming,» according to the release.

«Welcoming the World Series of Poker back to ESPN is a meaningful moment for fans and for us,» ESPN vice president of