The sports broadcasting wing of BBC, BBC Sport has extended its broadcast agreement with the World Snooker Tour until 2032.
The newly signed pact is a five-year extension of the present agreement, guaranteeing that the Triple Crown stays free-to-air for millions of snooker fans in the UK. BBC Sport will deliver live TV and iPlayer coverage of snooker’s three most renowned contests: the World Championship, UK Championship, and Masters.
The Masters, presently held at Alexandra Palace, will be followed by the World Championship in Sheffield in April and the UK Championship in York in November. Last year, BBC Sport’s broadcast of the Triple Crown events received 33.9 million streams via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with over 16 million viewers tuning in on television.
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said, “Snooker has been a cornerstone of BBC Sport programming since 1969, and extending our partnership with World Snooker until 2032 is fantastic news for the audience. It ensures the drama, intensity and excitement of the Triple Crown events remains free-to-air and we look forward to many more years of iconic sporting moments.”
WST Chairman, Steve Dawson, said, “For more than 50 years we have had an outstanding relationship with BBC and their coverage of the Triple Crown is a fundamental part of those three events. So many millions of fans love watching snooker on BBC and it has always been vital to us to keep the biggest tournaments free to air.”
WST Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Wright, commented, “The broadcast figures are extremely strong this week at the Masters which highlights the enduring appeal of snooker and the drama it produces year after year. We look forward to many more years working alongside the BBC, delivering world class sport to a vast audience.”
World Champion Kyren Wilson, said, “I grew up watching all of the biggest tournaments on the BBC so it’s fantastic to see this deal extended until at least 2032. It’s so important for young people getting into snooker, like my own children, that the Triple Crown events are available to watch free to air, as this will help us to grow the sport. The BBC do an amazing job in the way they broadcast snooker and long may that continue. I have also really enjoyed working for the commentary team myself and finding out how the production works behind the scenes.”
With this extension, BBC Sport’s portfolio now comprises the Olympics, European football, Wimbledon, the Australian Open, cricket in England and Wales, the Premier League, and more.