Believe Entertainment Group Partners with Poker Central for Six-episode, Short-form Comedy Series Starring Chris Parnell

(New York, NY, June 13, 2017) — Today, New York entertainment company Believe Entertainment Group (BE) announced it has partnered with Poker Central® to create and produce a six-episode, short-form comedy series, Poker Nights, starring former Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock alumnus, Chris Parnell.

The scripted series’ cast includes a shuffling of both established and up-and-coming comedic talent, including Dan Chamberlain, Wes Haney, Richie Moriarty, Emily Tarver and Neko White, and special guest appearances from professional poker players, including the “Poker Brat” himself, Phil Hellmuth. It deals a comedic look at poker for Poker Central’s fans and will premiere on the company’s subscription streaming service, PokerGO, later this summer. The series follows a group of “best-ish” friends and the oddball guests that filter in and out of their weekly, neighborhood poker game. The series is directed by Jared Lapidus, who most recently directed on NBC’s primetime variety show, Maya & Marty, and will direct on Netflix’s upcoming comedy series, The Who Was? Show.

The partnership also includes the creation of 200 pieces of short-form video across a wide variety of formats including sketches, animation, how-tos, lists, and more – all showcasing the world of poker and the lifestyle surrounding it. This content will anchor Poker Central’s social content strategy with daily distribution on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

“Poker Central’s PokerGO service is the ultimate poker destination for fans of the game and the amazing professional players who play it,” said Brian Hunt, President of Believe Studios and Head of Development. “Poker Nights sheds a light on some of the less impressive players the sport has to offer.”

“In a media industry ruled by exceptional content, poker as a mind sport provides the perfect backdrop to original programming and entertainment,” said Joe Kakaty, president of Poker Central. “Poker Nights, featuring high-profile talent such as comedy legend Chris Parnell, adds another level to Poker Central’s multidimensional content strategy that we believe will delight poker fans around the world.”

 

ABOUT BELIEVE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Believe Entertainment Group, a New York City-based entertainment company, produces high-profile content for digital and TV distribution, including Dear Basketball, a new, animated short film with Kobe Bryant, scored by the iconic John Williams and animated by Disney legend, Glen Keane. Other stand-out Believe series include: The LeBrons with NBA champion, LeBron James; In the Booth with DJ/producer Tiësto that just transitioned to linear television on Fuse/FM; Money Where Your Mouth Is with comedian Jay Mohr; Inspired: by Sabrina, an ongoing women’s lifestyle show hosted by HGTV star Sabrina Soto; @EpicEDM, an ongoing original content series featuring top electronic dance music (EDM) artists, festivals and clubs worldwide; and Tiger Beat Entertainment, a millennial-focused pop culture news and lifestyle series with Jennifer Lopez. Believe Entertainment Group’s studio division develops and produces digital-first original series for OTT and digital distribution partners, including: Time Inc., MGM, Yahoo, Comedy Central (Viacom), TruTV and AOL, among others. Believe maintains key distribution relationships with numerous leading media partners, including: Time Inc., Hulu, Yahoo, Fuse, YouTube, AOL and Defy Media, among others. Further, Believe has been at the forefront of building brand partnerships around premium content with some of the world’s leading brands, such as: Intel, Sprite, Nike, P&G, HP, J&J, Microsoft, Marriott, Progressive, Moët & Chandon, Campbell’s, McDonald’s, U.S. Army, Dell, Clorox and more. In 2014, the company signed an investment deal with the British-based broadcaster and studio ITV, who also joined the company’s board of directors.

 

ABOUT POKER CENTRAL^®

Poker Central is the ultimate destination for fans of poker tournaments, cash games, and lifestyle away from the tables. Available globally direct-to-consumer via OTT as well as through network television distribution, Poker Central delivers poker’s most premier live events when and where you want them. Poker Central content also goes off the felt, allowing fans to Get in the Game® with peeks behind-the-scenes into the lavish VIP lifestyle of the game’s most notable high rollers, virtual journeys to exotic poker destinations around the globe, and the latest news on the game’s celebrity players. For more information, visit www.pokercentral.com and find Poker Central on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

 

CONTACT

Gretchen Wagner
Believe Entertainment Group
917-716-6047
[email protected]

Remko Rinkema
Poker Central
[email protected]