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.
"Sigel vs. Jones has all the drama of a world heavyweight championship fight," said Arthur Smith, who eill exec produce the prime-time event with his company partner Kent Weed. "It also has the fun and historical impact of a "Battle of the Sexes." The event-and the worldwide tv special-will showcase pool like never before on tv. It's going to be hip, relevant and compelling television, for both the pool aficionado and casual viewer. This is like the Super Bowl of pool."
The International Pool Tour, which debuts with the Sigel-Jones showdown at Mandalay Bay, will stage a minimum of four high-profile, televised 8-Ball tournaments over the next year. Each tournament will have a minimum of one million dollars in prize money, regardless of the number of players. The tournaments will be held in top casino/hotels in Las Vegas and around the world and will be open to men and women of all ages. All participants must be members of the IPT but there are no other restrictions.
"The IPT World 8-Ball Championship," pitting Sigel versus Jones, will be broadcast on nationwide TV and international television, in September, 2005.
