Three major World Snooker Tour events move to new TV channel
The Players Championship, Tour Championship and British Open will move to Channel 5 in 2026.
The three tournaments have been shown on ITV4 in recent seasons but will change broadcaster next year.
The change sees this season's Players Championship (Feb 16-22) and Tour Championship (Mar 30 – Apr 5) make the switch.
The British Open will move to Channel 5 in 2026, but this season's edition runs from 22-28 September, before the switch.
The broadcasting team of presenters, pundits and commentators have not been confirmed as yet, as Channel 5 show ranking events for the first time.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: 'We are delighted to be working with 5 for the first time and to add a new broadcaster to our tour. Snooker has a long history of providing fans with free-to-air events with extensive live coverage so this is fantastic news for everyone who follows our sport.
'The Players Championship and Tour Championship are elite events contested only by the best of the best. Players are striving all season to climb the one year list and earn a place in these prestigious tournaments.
'And from 2026, 5 will also broadcast the British Open which is a historic event with its own unique identity including a random draw.'
Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn was asked about the upcoming shake-up in broadcasting deals for World Snooker Tour events at this year's World Championship.
'There's going to be a mixture of broadcasters because quite honestly, broadcasters like snooker,' he said at the Crucible. 'It's delivering ratings.
'We live in a numbers game. ITV4 has been fantastically successful for us in the numbers it's got.
'So, obviously some of the other stations want snooker. And I think in the next couple of weeks we will lay out the deals that we've done. More Trending
'It's going to involve a multiple number of broadcasters. Some free-to-air, some behind the pay-model. But it's a compliment to where snooker is that it's in demand.
'We need to be more encouraging to the younger market, which involves talking to them in the language that they understand and the medium that they understand. And that's why the world is becoming more digital. The future is more Netflix than free-to-air.
'People will be able to watch what they want to watch, the sports they want to watch, when they want to watch it and for a price they can afford. I find that really exciting.'
MORE: 10 storylines of the new snooker season as the 2025-26 campaign begins
MORE: Anthony Hamilton names snooker star's transformation as 'most impressive thing I've seen'
MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan faces World Snooker Championship nightmare ahead of new season
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
Snooker chiefs reveal Ding Junhui and Seniors champ hit with fines
The latest update to the WPBSA's record of disciplinary cases reveals fines for Chinese superstar Ding Junhui and World Seniors champion Alfie Burden. While some disciplinary outcomes are published individually, snooker's governing body periodically updates their list of cases, unveiling some more punishments. Ding was hit with a fine for 'publicly criticising snooker parties in social media posts' at the 2024 Scottish Open. The former world number one criticised the tables at the Edinburgh event on Chinese social media site Weibo after losing 4-3 to Luca Brecel. 'I have never played on a s*** table like this – the bounce on the cushion was the same as that of a spring. How can one control the cue ball on such a table?' Ding wrote, via the South China Morning Post. 'A bunch of amateur table installers packed up a pile of s*** for the professional players to play with, and you dare call yourself a professional event.' WST responded in a statement, which read: 'All the tables provided by Xingpai around the world have always been the best. We have a rigorous table-testing programme to provide the best playing conditions for all events. 'We also employ the best table installation team in the world. With their excellent skills and vast experience, they are able to overcome various challenges in every game to ensure that the game conditions are optimal. 'Ding made some negative comments this week after his loss to Brecel, which we strongly oppose. These comments are isolated as we have not received any negative feedback from other players this week regarding the playing conditions.' Ding was fined £4,000 for his comments, although £2,500 of which was suspended to March 13, 2025. He also had to pay £975 in costs. Burden was hit with a £1,500 fine and given a formal warning as to his future behaviour due to 'inappropriate behaviour' in a World Seniors Championship qualifying match in April. The 48-year-old went on to win the World Seniors Championship at the Crucible in May and remembers the incident as 'punching the table a couple of times and swearing.' The list of disciplinary outcomes also included Matt Selt's £10,000 fine and suspended three-month ban for aggressive and abusive behaviour, which has previously been reported. It was also confirmed that Mark Allen was fined £4,000, of which £2,500 suspended until March 5, 2026 and he had to pay costs of £1,753 for 'publicly criticising snooker parties in TV interview and live newspaper interview.' More Trending This was regarding Allen hitting out at table fitters at the 2024 British Open and saying the tables should be burned. 'The conditions out there are absolutely embarrassing,' Allen told ITV after beating Gary Wilson 4-3 at the British Open. 'It's some of the worst weather outside and they've left the massive transport doors open. It's so cold, it's so humid out there. 'There's new guys doing the tables this year and they're clearly not up to it. The cushions are unplayable, uncontrollable. It was heavy. The table needs to be burned.' WST said in a statement: 'Our table-fitting team has been consistent for some time and works to the highest standards. The weather in the area has seen unprecedented rainfall over the last couple of days which can negatively influence the conditions. We have raised the issue of an open door with the venue.' MORE: Luca Brecel pulls out of British Open in bizarre start to his snooker season MORE: Three major World Snooker Tour events move to new TV channel MORE: 10 storylines of the new snooker season as the 2025-26 campaign begins
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘This chapter will close' – Rising darts star, 24, quits day job as a civil servant to commit to the sport full-time
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DARTS star Niko Springer has quit his day job to focus on the sport. The 24-year-old has been balancing his time at the oche with working as a civil servant. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Niko Springer has revealed he is quitting his job as a civil servant Credit: Getty But Springer is ready to be a full-time professional after losing the Dutch Darts Championship final last month. The German was eventually beaten by Jonny Clayton after seeing off the likes of Stephen Bunting, Jermaine Wattimena and Martin Schindler. Springer told the Tops Tops Tops podcast: "From August, things will change. I won't be working anymore. "I enjoyed my job and I did it well, so this wasn't easy. READ MORE IN DARTS LOOK ON THE BRIGHTSIDE Darts star claims wife has cost him money by rejecting walk-on song "But I've decided that this chapter will close — at least for now — in August. "When I have a weekend like Rosmalen, I get home around half past three in the morning. "Then I'm up again at seven for work — plus a one-hour commute. Over time, it just drains you. "That sense of security is going away for the moment, but I've got the option to go back at any time, no strings attached. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Springer, who got knocked out by Scott Williams on his World Championship debut last year, has been tipped to be a future star. But he has taken an unusual route to becoming a pro after initially stalling to focus on his university studies. Players Championship clash descends into 'pub darts' with even winner looking embarrassed after 'stinking' leg Springer said: "I usually prefer to play it safe. My education was always the priority."
Metro
12 hours ago
- Metro
Luca Brecel pulls out of British Open in bizarre start to his snooker season
Luca Brecel has pulled out of British Open qualifying on the day he was due to play after failing to show up for his Wuhan Open qualifier on Sunday. The 30-year-old gave no warning on Sunday ahead of his scheduled contest with Haris Tahir, with his opponent eventually being handed a 5-0 win. On Wednesday he was due to be in Leicester again for British Open qualifying against Alexander Ursenbacher, but pulled out on the day, allowing amateur player Ashley Carty to take his place in the draw. A brief statement from World Snooker Tour on Wednesday afternoon read: 'Luca Brecel has withdrawn from this week's British Open qualifiers and been replaced in the draw by Ashley Carty. 'Brecel was due to face Alexander Ursenbacher on Wednesday afternoon but has decided to pull out. Carty is the highest available player from the Q School top-up list.' Whether he will be punished by the snooker hierarchy is yet to be confirmed, but he does face the possibility of a fine unless he gives an appropriate reason for his absence. Brecel has not given a reason for not playing in the two events at the Mattioli Arena, he has been busy on social media, seemingly enjoying himself. On Sunday, when he was due to play Tahir, he posted picture on Instagram with his reported new girlfriend Shawney Demuyter and another of pizzas with two glasses of wine. By Tuesday the Bullet was posting pictures wearing a bizarre mask and an eye-catching hat. Wednesday saw the former world champ sporting a wig, shortly before he was due to be playing Ursenbacher. The Belgian Bullet finished last season off impressively as he looked great on a run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship, where he was beaten by Judd Trump in an excellent contest. They were encouraging signs for the man who had won the 2023 World Championship but had a very quiet time after that, skipping a number of tournaments and struggling for results in the ones he played in. He has slipped down to number 39 in the world rankings and failing to play in either the Wuhan Open or British Open puts him at risk of falling further down in the rankings in the weeks to come. His next scheduled matches are on July 17 in the Championship League, but whether he plays in those or not is yet to be seen. More Trending The Saudi Arabia Masters in Jeddah in August would be the next event for the Bullet after that. Asked about his fall outside of the top 16 at the World Championship in April, Brecel said he was actually looking forward to qualifiers. 'There's also a good side, less travelling maybe, less extra tournaments so for me it's maybe better,' he said of no longer being in the top 16. 'I enjoy the qualifiers to be honest, I don't need to be on the TV table, I like being on the outside table as well. For me it's all about playing snooker.' MORE: Three major World Snooker Tour events move to new TV channel MORE: 10 storylines of the new snooker season as the 2025-26 campaign begins MORE: Anthony Hamilton names snooker star's transformation as 'most impressive thing I've seen'
