ESPN and the World Series of Poker have committed to keep coverage of the storied tournament series on the air through most of the next decade.

ESPN and WSOP owner Harrah’s Entertainment announced Tuesday a new seven-year deal worth an undisclosed amount. The latest contract between the two parties was set to expire in 2010.

“The WSOP is proud to call ESPN home for another nine years,” said Jeffrey Pollack, President of Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment and the World Series of Poker. “This long-term agreement ensures that our content will continue to reach sports fans around the world through a wide variety of platforms.”

The news comes on the same day as the first two of 24 episodes covering the 2009 Main Event are set to debut. Ratings for the initial 2009 episodes - those covering the $40,000 No Limit Hold’em event, the Champions Invitational, and the Ante Up For Africa charity event - are down 8% from the previous year.

The cable sports giant has long been associated with the WSOP. For ten years from the late 1980s to the late 1990s the network aired one-hour episodes covering the main event final table. More modern coverage, complete with hole cards, began in 2002. The next year, ESPN’s coverage of the WSOP Main Event became a mainstay when Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker became the improbable champion.

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