The 2025 Championship League Snooker Invitational starts tomorrow and WST, eventually, shared some more comprehensive information about who plays in it, when and how to watch.
The 2025 BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational is set to welcome 25 of the world’s best players, including defending champion Mark Selby, reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson, and fan favourites Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump.
Returning to the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, the tournament runs from January 3 to February 4, 2025. Players will compete across seven intense group stages, with the winners progressing to the Winners’ Group, where the ultimate champion will be crowned.
Confirmed Player Groups: Group 1 (January 3–4): • Chris Wakelin • Gary Wilson • Jak Jones • Hossein Vafaei • Pang Junxu • Ryan Day • Elliot Slessor
Group 2 (January 6–7): • Ali Carter • Si Jiahui • Robert Milkins
Group 3 (January 8–9): • Ronnie O’Sullivan • Kyren Wilson • Mark Selby
Group 4 (January 10–11): • Barry Hawkins • Stuart Bingham • Jackson Page
Group 5 (January 20–21): • Judd Trump • Tom Ford • Neil Robertson
Group 6 (January 22–23): • David Gilbert • Jack Lisowski • Noppon Saengkham
Group 7 (January 24–25): • Xiao Guodong • Zhou Yuelong • Matthew Selt
Each group will follow a round-robin format, with the top four players advancing to a play-off to determine the group winner. The winners from Groups 1–7 will battle it out in the Winners’ Group, scheduled for February 3–4, to compete for the prestigious Championship League Snooker title and secure a place in the 2025 Champion of Champions.
Broadcast Information Fans can watch the action unfold globally, with comprehensive live coverage available on two tables throughout the tournament. Table One will be streamed live on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel and available to UK viewers as well as on Rigour in China and Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Iceland. Table Two will be streamed live on the Matchroom Multi Sport YouTube channel, accessible to fans worldwide. A full broadcast schedule will be announced shortly.
With a £20,000 prize fund for the champion and additional financial rewards for each frame won, the 2025 BetVictor Championship League Snooker Invitational guarantees high-stakes drama and unforgettable moments. Don’t miss this exciting start to the snooker calendar!
Ronnie has entered the event and is scheduled to play in the week just before the Masters. I have absolutely no doubts that his interest in this event is to get good match practice against top opposition ahead of his Masters title defense. Nothing else and he’s probably not the only one with that mindset.
The event will be streamed on YouTube but from what I understand from the “broadcast information” table 1 will not be available worldwide. Why? Can someone explain to me why some of the action streamed on YouTube will be restricted to UK viewers? I guess it’s to protect the interests of the other broadcasters who will show it. OK, maybe, but once again the UK-centric nature of the whole organisation of the sport is blatantly apparent. It should be available in all regions not covered by Rigour and Viaplay, not just in the UK … or not at all outside those regions. If WST is serious about growing the sport worldwide, they should treat all fans equally no matter where they live.
Yesterday was the first of 2025 and snooker was on! Hangzhou is currently hosting the CBSA Snooker Superstars Invitational Tournament.
Two matches were played yesterday: Ronnie played Ding and Willo played John Higgins.
Ronnie won his match by 5-1. Ronnie played well again although there were a few mistakes and misses. It was typical exhibition snooker. Not much safeties, and some really daring shots.
The other match was much closer. John Higgins won it by 5-3. Willo lead by 62-0 in the last frame with 75 on the table, couldn’t get position, played a weak safety. Higgins stepped in and the rest is history.
Ronnie is due to play John Higgins today. It will be interesting to see what happens. They are due to face each other in the 2025 Masters opening match, ten days from now.
Here are some pictures of the ROS v Ding match, shared on various social media (mainly Weibo).
There is of course much more to be found in Kalacs comments as always.
Thank You Kalacs!
The invitational CLS starts on January 3, and will overlap with this event. Now this of course is a CBSA event, so, I guess, all authorisations have been granted and the players involved will not be in trouble.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 