Eurosport Signs Agreement With World Snooker & Img

02 May 2016 | tshego

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Eurosport, World Snooker and IMG have announced a 10-year extension of the TV and digital rights to show 18 tournaments of the World Snooker Tour on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, its live and on-demand digital service.

The events will be shown exclusively on Eurosport in 54 markets across Europe however, four events broadcast in the UK will be shown, but not exclusively; the World Championship, Masters, UK Championship and Welsh Open.

In addition to the live action, fans will be able to enjoy insight from leading players and personalities within the game on special programming. There will also be enhanced match coverage on Eurosport Player, where fans will be able to choose which matches to watch from cameras covering multiple tables.

Peter Hutton, chief executive officer, Eurosport said: “Snooker has some of sport’s most ardent fans and has been a major part of Eurosport’s programming since it was first broadcast on the channel in 2003. Eurosport has since been a strong partner to help grow the popularity of the sport across Europe, showcasing the best competitions, providing insightful expert commentary and exceptional new programming such as ‘The Ronnie O’Sullivan Show’.

“We see excellent viewing figures for snooker and we are delighted to announce that we will continue to share the best moments from the sport with fans across the continent for the next 10 years.”

World Snooker chairman, Barry Hearn added: “This long term deal with Eurosport is a very significant moment for our sport. Eurosport has played a crucial role in the rapid growth of snooker across the continent over the past 13 years, making it one of the most popular and highest-rating sports in the region. The players are now travelling to many corners of the continent and seeing a new-found passion among fans who might not have even heard of snooker until they saw it on Eurosport. We’re excited about continuing this growth over the coming decade, staging new events in the UK and around Europe, and working alongside the Eurosport team in building ever stronger foundations.”

Adam Kelly, head of sales EMEA & global business development worldwide, SVP IMG Media, concluded: “We are pleased to have achieved our aim of ensuring both continued growth and increased awareness of the World Snooker Tour, through securing distribution with Eurosport on behalf of World Snooker. This extension will enable the sport to continue to benefit from the expansive coverage they offer across the region, both on their TV channels and digitally.”