Shuffle Up and Deal Needs a Sponsor
By Rocco Havel | March 16, 2010
Oates Media Group is looking forward to the first airing of its new poker game show, “Shuffle Up and Deal,” but before it can get to that point, it needs to film an episode first. The problem: finding a sponsor for the program.
The show was originally slated to broadcast 13 episodes on the MyFamilyTV network, but producer Dewey Oates decided that he wanted a bigger audience and thus a bigger network. In order to achieve this, however, he needs a sponsor to help pick up some of the costs. Oates told the website Poker News Daily, “If we had a sponsor, we’d start filming immediately. The production company is ready to go.”
Oates said that he has contacted GSN, the cable network which airs “High Stakes Poker,” but the powers that be required at least a partial sponsor, and preferably a title sponsor, to be secured before they would consider it further. As PartyPoker’s Mike Sexton is the host of “Shuffle Up and Deal,” Oates has naturally been introduced to the people at PartyGaming, PartyPoker’s parent company, but nothing has evolved from that relationship yet. And as Oates put it, Sexton’s influence can only go so far: “(Sexton) can’t go to Full Tilt and ask for a sponsorship if he’s the host,” he told Poker News Daily.
Besides, PartyPoker does not accept customers from the United States, so a sponsorship of an American television program may be pointless. Another “insider” contact could be Chad Brown, who plays for PokerStars, as he is the host for the stage version of the show. Oates has been contacting Indian casinos around the country in an effort to land a live version of the show and has indicated that some progress has been made.
One option that is not likely to work would be a “time buy,” in which Oates Media Group would actually pay a network to broadcast “Shuffle Up and Deal,” and then keep any advertising revenue it can sell all for itself. At potentially $1 million per half hour, this alternative is probably out of Oates’ reach.
“Shuffle Up and Deal” bills itself as “TV’s First Family-Friendly Poker-Themed Game Show.” In each contest, contestants will select their cards from an electronic board. The audience will be able to see the cards in advance, while the players will not. The player who has the most cash winnings at the end of the show advances to a bonus round. In the bonus round, the contestant will play for a progressive jackpot that starts at $250,000 and increases $10,000 after every episode if it is not won.
Home viewers will also be able to get in on the fun by playing “Follow the Ace.” There will be five cards from which to pick, and any member of the home audience who correctly picks the Ace will be entered into a drawing to win $10,000.
Anyone who wishes to be a contestant on the show can register on the program’s Facebook page or visit ShuffleUpTV.com
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