Los Angeles (August 25, 2006): The International Pool Tour has announced that it has signed nationally-known sportscaster Matt Vasgersian as its lead announcer for the 2006 season.
Vasgersian did the "play by play" announcing for the IPT "King of the Hill 8-Ball Shootout" series, which scored major ratings successes for the Comcast-owned national cable network OLN. In addition to being the "voice of the IPT," Vasgersian is the lead Play-by-Play announcer for the San Diego Padres major-league baseball team. He is in his fifth season as the Padres' announcer.
As a national talent, Vasgersian was also recently named to the "Fox NFL Sunday" broadcast team. Matt is also well-known for his broadcast work on "Fox Baseball Saturday" and can also be seen and heard as part of NBC's coverage of the summer and winter Olympics.
A 1989 graduate of the University of Southern California, Vasgersian's unique blend of knowledge, humor and enthusiasm have vaulted him into the front ranks of American sportscasters. He will be heard as the lead announcer on the forthcoming IPT "North American Open 8-Ball" tv series, which will premiere nationally on OLN (to be retitled VERSUS) in late September. Vasgersian will be joined in the broadcast booth by pool great Mike "The Mouth" Sigel and IPT founder Kevin Trudeau.
"Matt is clearly one of America's most gifted and exciting young sportscasters," said IPT Executive Director Jon Denny. "We're proud that he's bringing his professionalism and incisive perspectives to the IPT broadcast team. We believe this is yet another indication that the IPT is taking pool to a major-league level- as a real sport."
"The quality of the play, the characters and competitors on the International Pool Tour make it fun to cover as an announcer," said Vasgersian. "With all the money at stake, the world-class venues and the 8-ball action itself, it's obvious that the IPT style of pool is unlike anything the cue sports world has ever seen".
