IPT Tour Press Release

[Teddy Harris]

The IPT Tour site has been updated and this is what I found on the "IPT in the news" page.

They have announced they are considering having an Asian Open Championship, Australian Open Championship, and a European Open Championship in 2007...
and it looks like the purse has gone up for the Loree John Jones and Mike Sigel evet to $150,000 1st place and $75,000 2nd place. WOWOWOWOW!!!

The following is a snippet of their press release...how strong is this!

For immediate release
FORMER HEAD OF FOX SPORTS NETWORK JOINS INTERNATIONAL POOL TOUR TV GROUP
Arthur Smith to Executive Produce "IPT World 8-Ball Championship"

Los Angeles, August 1st, 2005: Arthur Smith, the multiple Emmy-nominated CEO of A. Smith & Co, has signed on to executive produce the International Pool Tour's premiere television event "IPT's World 8-Ball Championship," to be held on August 20th at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Smith, one of network TV's most experienced and successful producers, is the former Fox Sports Network Head of Programming, Production and News. He has also been the executive producer for Fox Sports Net's Major League Baseball, World Championship Boxing, NFL This Morning, the PGA Tour, Formula One Racing and Fox Sports News.

Prior to joining Fox Sports, Smith was Head of CBC Sports in Canada. In addition to revamping CBC's sports coverage with stylized graphics, high profile features and technological innovations, Smith developed many top-rated made-for-TV events and also secured rights to many top sporting events including the Winter Olympics.

In November of 2000, Smith launched A. Smith & Co. Productions. Over the past five years, Smith and company have been responsible for some of network tv's biggest reality-show hits, including "The Swan", "Paradise Hotel", and Fox's newest smash hit "Hell's Kitchen."

"Arthur Smith is the top producer of sports and entertainment programming in the country and we're proud to welcome him and his team to the International Pool Tour," said IPT founder Kevin Trudeau, whose successful media ventures include a publishing company with the #1 New York Times best-seller and the Golf TV Channel in the UK. "The IPT's major tv events will be the most watched pool matches in broadcasting history. Arthur's track record and vision will help make them exciting and entertaining prime-time events. "

"The IPT World 8-Ball Championship" at Mandalay Bay is a one-of-a-kind, blockbuster match between 9-time World Champion Mike Sigel, the greatest pool player of all-time, and 8-Time World-Champion Loree Jon Jones, considered the greatest female player of all-time. It is the first time in history that the best male pool player and the best female pool player will meet head-on in a championship match.

The winner of the "IPT World 8-Ball Championship" will be awarded an unprecedented $150,000 cash, the largest single pay-day in the history of the sport. The runner-up will receive $75,000.

 

[SlimShafty]

Good find Ted, I think people are underestimating what could happen in one short year.

Arthur Smith is a solid addition and clear sign Mr. Trudeau is really trying to do something, what that something is is still not totally known. I am fully behind anything to bring the sport to the spotlight and I have no problems with Trudeau, And I think Pool as we know it will never be the same, at least in the very short term, but if it works....who knows.

Mr Smith and his company http://asmithco.com do a lot of reality shows and are surly planing something. you can even find this on the IPT websites Question and answer section:

QUESTION:
I heard that at some of these tournaments you will be doing a lot of filming and turning it into a reality TV show. Is this true?

ANSWER:
As of right now, it is our intention to do a massive amount of filming at IPT tournaments. The filming will not just be the matches, but will actually follow players around in a reality TV format. Yes, it is our intention to produce a series of reality TV shows. Whether or not these shows are picked up by any TV network is yet to be seen.


I could be wrong but I'm sure in the $899 contract to sign up for the tour is a full discloser to use you on film playing pool or away from pool without compensation, this brings us to the large prize money, which can be said will be payment enough for any use of any footage of said player.

This could be good or bad, I'm not a huge reality TV fan and think it's been done to death but if it's done right, and shows the better side of the players and draws interest from the average Joe, it could really push pool to another level.

On the other hand many reality shows I see exploit the people and make them look like idiots yelling and screaming, back stabbing and calling each other names, then it might not be the best.

Of course all of the players will not much care with the chance for a $200,000 paycheck and something like $15,000 for 20th place, heck a guy in 30th place could take home $5,000 that's top money in many tournaments today