Category: Sport
Date: 27.10.2005
Printable version
World Snooker has announced a new deal which will keep the sport on 91Èȱ¬ Television until May 2011.
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The 91Èȱ¬ will continue to screen full coverage of four major tournaments - currently the Grand Prix, the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Championship - for the next five years.
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Snooker is among the most popular television sports. Viewing figures for the World Championship final in May between Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens peaked at 7.8 million.
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Sir Rodney Walker, Chairman of World Snooker, said: "In an era when many sports are turning to satellite networks for coverage, we are very pleased to be keeping snooker on terrestrial television until at least 2011.
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"This is excellent news for the many millions of snooker fans in Britain. The new deal is also very positive news for our players and for the sport as a whole.
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"The 91Èȱ¬ and their production company TWI have set exceptional standards in the way they have broadcast snooker and this has been a key factor behind the sport's enduring appeal to the public.
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"We look forward to strengthening our relationship in the next five years and beyond."
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Barbara Slater, 91Èȱ¬'s Head of General Sports, said: "Snooker continues to be one of the most popular televised sports and we're delighted it's going to continue on the 91Èȱ¬.
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"Snooker has been pioneering in terms of offering new technology, particularly with the introduction of interactive and broadband rights.
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"Snooker remains hugely popular with
our audiences."
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World Number One Ronnie O'Sullivan said: "I know how many people watch snooker on the 91Èȱ¬ so it great news for them that they can keep watching us! I can't imagine the big tournaments being televised on any channel other than 91Èȱ¬."
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John Higgins, the new Grand Prix champion, said: "This keeps snooker firmly in the public eye and it gives the sport a platform to build from over the next five years."
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Seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry added: "This is good news for snooker. 91Èȱ¬ have been our broadcast partners in the UK for many years now and their coverage of snooker has helped take the sport to where it is today."
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The next snooker viewers can see on 91Èȱ¬ will be the Pot Black Cup, a one-frame competition on 91Èȱ¬ ONE, starting at 1.00pm on Saturday (29 October) in Grandstand.
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Grandstand will be presented by Hazel Irvine, with highlights of the quarter finals and live coverage of the semi-finals and final.
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