PokerStars and Full Tilt can run all the commercials they want during the WSOP (and other poker shows), but their brand recognition still pales in comparison to the WSOP.
Yes, they have built up strong brands, which have allowed them to distance themselves from the rest of the online poker sites. But if you test people outside the industry on brand recognition, the WSOP and the WPT absolutely crush every single online poker site.
Yes, the WPT is still a huge brand in mainstream America. Any time I wear a World Poker Tour shirt out in Atlanta, I get comments from random people (waitresses, checkout clerks, bank tellers, etc.) -- many of whom don't play poker themselves.
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