Zynga and World Series of Poker Go All-In With Major Tournament Co-Promotion
Posted by Zynga
on May 14th, 2009
Poker Powerhouses Offer Everyone a Seat at the Table by Hosting Tournament on Facebook
San Francisco – May 14, 2009 – Zynga, the largest developer of social games, today announced a strategic alliance with the World Series of Poker (WSOP) to leverage poker fan bases from both worlds. Zynga and WSOP will work closely to bring the largest online and offline poker brands and communities together.
Zynga’s free-to-play Texas Hold’Em Poker game is Facebook’s top game application with over 12 million monthly active users. As part of this alliance, Zynga will host several “Shootout” tournaments on their Texas Hold’Em Facebook application, offering two skilled poker winners the chance to win a seat* in the WSOP Main Event, where fame, fortune and the richest prize in sports awaits the victor.
“We built our Texas Hold’Em Poker game into the largest game on Facebook by keeping an eye on what is important to our players,” said Mark Pincus, CEO of Zynga. “We know that poker is a lifestyle which includes playing online and offline, and watching it on TV. This partnership is an opportunity to bring those worlds together.”
“Any poker player knows the Holy Grail is to win the Main Event of the World Series of Poker,” said Craig Abrahams, World Series of Poker vice president. “Now for the first time, we’re reaching fans in a new way, through Zynga’s platform. Players from all over the world can play the free Texas Hold’Em game from the convenience of their own living rooms, and win a seat* to the biggest poker tournament in the world.”
This once in a lifetime VIP WSOP prize package includes roundtrip airfare to Las Vegas, three nights’ accommodations at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, a backstage tour of the WSOP venue and a day pass to the VIP player’s lounge. The “Shootout” tournaments begin on June 8 and will run through June 22. Eighteen winners from the tournaments will be randomly selected to play in the Final Showdown on June 29-30. Two VIP WSOP winners will be announced on July 1 where they will be whisked off to Las Vegas for a seat at the table. Please visit www.zynga.com/wsop for more information, details on how to enter, and to view the published tournament dates, schedules and Official Rules.
*Subject to eligibility and rules. Rules and eligibility information available at www.zynga.com/wsop on or before June 1, 2009.
ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year over year. The WSOP in December, 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com or www.twitter.com/wsop.
About Zynga
Zynga is the largest social gaming company with more than 9.5 million daily users and 45 million monthly users. Zynga’s games are available on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, Friendster, Tagged, Yahoo!, the iPhone and iPod Touch, and include Texas Hold’Em Poker, Mafia Wars, YoVille, Vampires, Street Racing, Scramble and Word Twist. The company is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, IVP, Union Square Ventures, Foundry Group, Avalon Ventures, Pilot Group, Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel. Zynga is headquartered at the Chip Factory in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.zynga.com or www.twitter.com/zynga.
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