World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE), Inc. has filed suit against the Travel Channel on Monday to stop the home to its wildly popular World Poker Tour from interfering with a developmental deal with a third-party network to air a
show called the Professional Poker Tour (PPT).
The contract WPTE has with the Travel Channel gives the Travel Channel 60 days to decide if it would like to produce poker-related shows WPT Enterprises develops. WPTE claims that it gave the Travel Channel a chance to negotiate for the PPT, but a deal couldn't be reached within the 60-day exclusive bargaining period.
Although negotiations continued after the 60-day bargaining period, a third network made an offer for the PPT, which WPT Enterprises accepted.
The suit alleges that after WPT Enterprises entered discussions with a third party for the PPT, the Travel Channel sent letters to the third party and WPTE offices asserting that WPT Enterprises broke the broadcasting contract by entering into negotiations with a party other than the Travel Channel.
The suit, filed in California Superior Court, seeks to keep the Travel Channel from interfering with negotiations with the other broadcaster. The contract between the Travel Channel and WPTE gives the Travel Channel 15 days after a deal is reached to match the offer, and the 15-day deadline will expire Sept. 27.
