Streaming services have taken over the globe, with TV and movie buffs able to access thousands of titles on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. For sports fans, ESPN+ is the best way to catch up on all the latest news as well as access live and previously recorded games. However, the game of poker has been on the rise for nearly 20 years, which has led to the streaming service PokerGO being born. Originally founded in 2015, PokerGO offers fans a wide variety of content. Fans can watch on-demand shows with original content, but they also have the opportunity to access poker’s more premier live events, including Super High Roller Bowl, Poker Masters and U.S. Poker Open.
“PokerGO is the Netflix for poker,” Remko Rinkema, the host of the PokerGO show Run it Back with Remko and the senior editor at Poker Central, said exclusively to PopCulture.com. “It is poker on demand. It’s poker live. It is original programming. It’s basically anything a poker fan could ever wish for. Whether you’re looking to watch the latest big event in real-time, or if you to dive back into the archives and watch some of your favorite content back in the day, we have all that stuff.”
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Rinkema’s show takes a look back at the biggest moments in poker history, and he talks to some of the top poker players in the world, including Daniel Negreanu and Chris Moneymaker. Both were big winners at the World Series of Poker, and fans have a chance to see both of them in action as PokerGO is currently airing WSOP Classic, which takes a look at past World Series of Poker events, including Moneymaker winning the main event in 2003. But while taking a look back is always fun, seeing the current top players in live events is also entertaining.
“Poker kind of sits at the intersection of sports and entertainment in media,” J.R. McCabe, Chief Business Officer of Poker Central, said. “Anything that’s got a winner, that’s competitive gameplay. We created a balance between those live events, which that’s what the passionate fan wants, and the ability to also deliver content on-demand at any time you want it.”
Along with Run it Back with Remko and WSOP Classic, PokerGO also offers a number of high-quality original shows including Poker Nights, The Championship Run, Super High Roller Club, and the documentary series Pokerography. Along with the original shows and the 100-plus days of live tournaments, PokerGO is the driving force of poker’s future being very bright.
“It’s the brightest it’s been in the last 10 years,” Rinkema said. “A lot of work is being done on the legislative side. A big push is being made for the legalization of online poker, which by giving players more access to the game, that’s obviously going to help.”
“For poker on TV, I think you’re going to continue to see growth of high-quality poker and franchises, branded events, high-quality events that consumers know to expect,” McCabe said. “I think you’ll see continued expansion on major media outlets. I think you’ll see it across platforms. We’re going to see more and more mobile consumption. We’re going to see more mobile interaction. You’ll also see more social engagement.”
