Eurosport

About “those interviews”: Ronnie’s latest ES blog and Barry Hearn’s view

Monique Eurosport, Interview, Media , ,

In his latest Eurosport blog with Desmond Kane, Ronnie once again explains why he’s done those strange interviews and tells us about life, snooker, the Crucible and his future.

In an interview with the BBC, Barry Hearn states that Ronnie isn’t breaking any rules, that himself finds the whole thing hilarious and that the game needs him.

Ronnie

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Wonderwall: There are many things I’d like to say to you, but I don’t know how

Ronnie O’Sullivan

In his latest blog, Ronnie O’Sullivan explains to Desmond Kane why singing Oasis songs, impersonating a robot and discussing weight loss with the media is better than landing a heavy fine by sharing his opinions on snooker ahead of next month’s World Championship in Sheffield.

‘HUGE DISTRACTION’

I’ll keep this brief on why I’ve continued to avoid getting involved in discussing snooker to the media. It is not to be awkward, have a laugh or make headlines. As I pointed out in my last blog, I’ve kept it deliberately short in my interviews due to the nature of the disciplinary letter I received via email from World Snooker before the German Masters in Berlin.

 It was a huge distraction, was poor in tone and timing, and it unquestionably had a negative effect on my performance/results at the World Grand Prix, German Masters and Welsh Open.

At the end of the day, I owe it to the fans of the sport to give my best on the table. Win or lose, the snooker public deserves the best from me at all times.

I gain nothing really from speaking from the heart in my press conferences after matches, but I do stand to lose a lot if I say something that brings the game into disrepute.

As I said in my previous blog, as soon as the topic goes onto snooker, it can land me in hot water with a heavy fine. So I’m giving that a swerve because I don’t need the stress. I have to attend press conferences as part of my duties, but why open up when it is not welcomed?

I felt it was important to explain my reasons for recent happenings so the snooker fans will understand why I’ve had some peculiar moments on TV, and in media conferences recently.

Or maybe people won’t understand. Either way, I’m being transparent about the whole situation which I believe is the best way to be.

The snooker fans deserve to know the truth, and understand I’m certainly not doing this to be awkward.

‘CRUCIBLE CAN BE GREATEST OR WORST’

On the whole, my season has been great. I’ve been in four finals and enjoyed a record seventh victory at the Masters in January. I’ll take that in this era.

I’m really looking forward to the World Championship next month. As we all know, it is the greatest snooker event on earth.

The Crucible in Sheffield can be the greatest place to play, but it can also be the worst if things aren’t going well for you. There is nowhere to hide in that venue.

I hear a lot about my performances not being as good as they used to be. Well, I tend to disagree. I think the standard in depth of the sport is as high as it’s ever been. I’m not too doing too badly if you take into consideration my age compared to others, and also my reputation.

I accept that will always be the case because sometimes a player will beat me then not reproduce the same level of form in the next round.

I know this happens to all the great players who have had great careers. You are there to be shot at.

In many ways, it is a compliment, but it doesn’t make it any easier to win matches.

‘FEARFUL, MOODY, NERVOUS AND ANXIOUS’

I’ve taken on other work that has probably helped in taking my eye off playing snooker. I don’t practice as much as I used to, but I’m the happiest I’ve been in my life.

I love doing my punditry, I love doing my books and I’ve loved doing my exhibitions. I loved doing my TV show American Hustle playing pool in the USA. I’ve loved doing my charity work. I’ve loved being able to give back to people who work selflessly to help others.

These are the things that have made me so happy, and my life feels fulfilling.

Snooker was always a self-indulgent pursuit. It was done with such tunnel vision, I never got to really do the things that really made me happy, and it’s only now that I’m realising that there is more to life than potting balls.

But I’m not resentful about that, I’m just regretful I didn’t do it earlier.

It feels as if my life has come alive, the only thing that makes me kind of unhappy is practice and playing in big snooker events.

For the simple reason I become out of touch with life and its joys. When I’m in snooker mode, I suffer from anxiety, I get fearful. I get nervous, I get moody and I isolate myself.

I can manage these emotions much better then I used to, but it still chips away at me.

‘LIFE A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER’

I read a great article about former track cyclist Victoria Pendleton last week.

She went through the same thought process as I did, and thanks to (sports psychiatrist) Doctor Steve Peters, we were both able to reach the heights we were capable of. I truly believe this, and I know that without him working to improve my mental attitude, I would never have been the player I have been over these past five years in winning the world title another few times.

I still feel I can compete on the table, and I will continue to compete for as long as I can. There’s a part of me that will always want the buzz from playing even though it comes with its stresses and anxieties.

I feel I owe it to the real snooker fans to continue. I don’t want to bail out early when I still feel I have something to offer to the public who enjoy the game.

What has become apparent, is that my snooker and my life in general is a thousand times better with all the variety I have.

When we do our punditry work for Eurosport, we have the best time. We have become like a family now. We all meet up at 8am in the morning and go for a 5-8k run which sets the day up nicely. I then get to watch snooker up close which is so much better than watching it on TV.

So the conclusion is that my game might not be as sharp as it could be, but I can still blag it and win a few matches to stay in the top 16.

Of course, losing still hurts, but not nearly as much as it used to. And even if I did drop out of the top 16, who cares? I can still play, and hit a few balls for fun.

‘ENOUGH TALKING’

Snooker is so much better when it’s played with a fun attitude. Some snooker is better than no snooker, that’s how I see it.

To be honest, does it really matter if it says five world titles on my gravestone as opposed to seven? History will judge you how it judges you.

I think life should be about having fun. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve even had fun when things have been bad for me. But when you hit your 40s, you realise it’s not everything in life.

Anyway, enough talking for now. I’m looking forward to Sheffield, the World Championship and all the mixed bag of pleasure it brings.

Speak to you again soon snooker fans.

Barry Hearn:

Ronnie O’Sullivan: Barry Hearn says interviews break no rules

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn says Ronnie O’Sullivan is doing nothing wrong with his unorthodox interviews.

O’Sullivan has talked in a robotic voice and sung an Oasis song in protest at being the subject of disciplinary hearings for several previous comments.

Hearn described the five-time world champion’s antics as “hilarious” but added: “I’m not sure he’s doing himself any favours.

“There’s a players’ contract and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s breaking no rules at all.”

O’Sullivan, 41, publicly criticised a referee and a photographer at the Masters in January, when he won a record seventh title, but his explanation was accepted and no action was taken.

“Ronnie never upsets me with what he says,” Hearn said. “Sometimes he goes too far, and when he goes too far, he’s reported to the disciplinary.

“There is no singling out of Ronnie O’Sullivan, for sure, because we need him in the game.

“Will I talk to him? I talk to him all the time. I am very happy to have a cup of tea, and I told him I think it’s hilarious.

“He’s operating under exactly the same rules as every other player. And he has every right to make any comment through the appropriate channels and they will be listened to. But the appropriate channels are not in the public media.”

Not a happy Ronnie …

Monique Eurosport, Interview ,

Ronnie isn’t happy and in his latest Eurosport  blog he tells Desmond Kane why

Ronnie O’Sullivan: Free speech is being stifled in snooker, I’m no longer willing to meet the cost

Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ronnie O’Sullivan explains why he can no longer accept being fined arbitrary sums for speaking to the media. In his latest exclusive blog, the five-times world champion tells Desmond Kane why he was left with a sour taste in the mouth after winning a record seventh Masters in London.

I was thrilled to win the Masters for a seventh time before another fantastic crowd at Alexandra Palace.

It meant so much to me considering all the ups and downs at the event. As always, I enjoyed the support of the fans so much.

One thing that has slightly taken the shine off my win was receiving another disciplinary letter from the governing body World Snooker about two situations affecting me at the tournament. I’ll try to explain my thoughts here.

Perhaps he was having a bad day at the office, but I felt the referee, Terry Camilleri, was not up to scratch during my semi-final match with Marco Fu at one of our sport’s major events.

And neither was a photographer, who was snapping pictures while I was on the shot.

When asked a question about my match with Marco, all I was giving was my opinion based on 25 years of playing the game. The referee and the photographer affected me so I gave an honest answer to the assembled media about why I wasn’t content with the situation.

What hasn’t been reported was that after the Masters, I made an offer to spend some of my own personal time with Terry to discuss the issue, or in a room with all the referees, to try to help them understand why situations like this occur during matches, and how we can work together to get it right so everybody is happy.

‘IMPORTANCE OF ETIQUETTE IN SPORT’

When I was leading 5-4 against Marco, a pivotal moment of the match, I was going for a very important pot at the start of the 10th frame.

As I’m down on the shot, the guy started moving his camera in my eyeline to get the picture he wanted. I got up off the shot to ask him to keep still while he was in my vision.

I had to ask him at least three times to stop moving while he was in my eyeline. In the end, I had to change the pot I was going for because he wasn’t listening. Is that fair?

He obviously didn’t know the etiquette of not moving in a snooker player’s eyeline while the player is on the shot. It happens a lot in golf, and golf is constantly stressing the need for photographers to respect players before they hit the ball. It should be the same in snooker.

I understand the demands on me to help project a positive image for snooker, but in a sport where we are told all players must be treated equally, the top 16 players the same as the world number 128, is it really fair that cameras are clicking on shots while other players are left alone to play without this distraction?

It is almost feels like you pay the price for getting further in tournaments when there is inevitably more interest.

Out of pure frustration, I said to the cameraman who was among the reporters: “you’re a f****ing nightmare mate, you obviously don’t know not to move in the players eyeline while the player is on a shot”.

I’m not excusing the swearing, and I apologise for that. I’m not trying to upset anyone, all I’m asking for is a sense of decorum during the match. We are all there trying to do our best to entertain, and I know photographers have an important role to play, but we have all have to respect each other.

I didn’t swear on TV, only to 10 or 15 journalists who record comments after the game. Nobody has even heard what I said because it was edited out by the BBC.

I’m not saying I was right to swear, but the photographer could have cost me the match. It was such a tight contest that could have gone either way.

It is appalling to think I could have played a shot that was prompted by a photographer not respecting the etiquette.

It would be good to know what steps World Snooker take to make sure new photographers know the etiquette before letting them snap away when they are only six feet from the table.

‘FINED FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS HONESTLY’

I don’t know what the outcome is going to be of these two situations, but I will no longer be talking in depth in press conferences or interviews because when I share my thoughts, I risk being fined.

This is not the first time this has happened. There have been several fines I’ve had to pay in the past, and they are not small fines.

For some reason, I appear to get fined more than all the fines the other players get for similar offences.

I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions from that.

In fact, some other players don’t get reported for similar things they have done. Sadly, I feel some of it is a bit personal. Why? Because it has been going on for years.

From now on, when I don’t say much in my interviews regarding snooker, you know why. I will no longer put my head on the chopping block. I don’t need the PR good or bad.

I feel that I’m good to be used for headlines and promotion when it suits, and I think I do more than most in giving my time for interviews.

But then I’m quickly jumped upon the minute my opinions don’t suit them.

It feels like they want to give you it in one hand when you are winning prize money then take it away with the other with their arbitrary fines.

Are the fines worked out by a means testing system? If so, that is simply unfair.

I’m left with two options:

  • a) find a new tour to play on because I still love playing, but not with this constant silliness going on, or
  • b) not speak or give full answers when being questioned about snooker

This is a very sad place to be when you have to resort to that.

If I get fined for implementing the second option then I will no longer be prepared to perform all the contractual obligations we are asked to do for World Snooker.

‘TONE AND TIMING OF LETTERS’

It is not just about the fines.

It is the tone of the letters, and also the timing of them. I’ve received them one day before I’m due to play a big event. How is that helpful to a player preparing for a tournament?

I’m not prepared to continue accepting this when it is evident the governing body don’t seem to have set fines or proper explanations about why people are fined certain amounts.

n view of what’s happened, I think the best way for me to communicate my thoughts, and update everyone in my own words, is by issuing this blog every two weeks.

I think it’s important that I am completely transparent, and let people know exactly what is going on.

This is not a rant, but a measured and factual way that I can communicate with all the people out there without the meaning of my words being twisted and turned into something they are not.

If the president of the US communicates via social media, why can’t I?

In his latest ES blog Ronnie clarifies his “car-boot sales” comments

Monique Eurosport, Interview ,

Speaking to Desmond Kane, Ronnie explains why he said what he said, read it here.

I love snooker, but BBC Sports Personality snub shows we must change attitudes to our great sport

Ronnie O’Sullivan tells Desmond Kane why snooker is one of the world’s great sports as he sets the record straight on claims he was trying to criticise the game he loves during the UK Championship in York.

The five-times world champion says he simply cannot understand why snooker has been snubbed by the BBC Sports Personality awards for over a quarter of a century, and ignored by some newspapers in its lack of coverage for such a popular sport.

—

I want to use my latest blog to clarify my comments during the UK Championship in York that have been made to look like I was criticising the sport. .

I was asked why I thought snooker players and myself in particular were never on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

My answer to the question was honest and simple: I don’t think snooker is an important enough sport compared to other sports such as tennis, F1, golf, football, cricket, horse racing, boxing and Olympic sports. The list goes on and on.

“If you look at all the nominees over the past 10-15 years, you will see that it is people from the sports listed above that have been shortlisted. Snooker has not featured in the top three since Stephen Hendry was nominated behind Paul Gascoigne in 1990. Which tells its own story. “

‘Prize money adds prestige’

My next point was that I believe if snooker can get to the point where winners collect £1million cheques like they do in golf, tennis and F1, then I believe that would help to change the perception of the sport as the game looks to attract more interest across the globe.

“Bigger prize money would contribute to bringing the sport back to the level of prestige and importance it obviously should enjoy and reached in the 1980s when at the height of Steve Davis’ fame, it was said he spent more time on TV than the PM Maggie Thatcher. “

We had Mark King and Anthony Hamilton telling us how skint they were only four weeks ago. These are two leading players who have been in the top 20 consistently over the past 15-20 years.

I’m not sure this is the perception that any sport wants.

“This was my next point, and I always think it’s important to understand why things are as they are and where you sit within that situation: football rights are worth over £5bn-8bn for three years. Maybe more. BBC pays £6-8 million for the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters for the same period.”

I’m no maths genius, but it’s not hard to work out why snooker is where it is in the pecking order.

‘Traditional media don’t cover the sport properly’

I believe sometimes snooker is fighting for column inches in newspapers which is a problem that has been around for years when it is up against football.

It suits some people to make my comments sound like I’m criticising snooker when that’s the last thing I was doing.

All I was doing was answering a question honestly put to me on why I think snooker is not competing with other sports in the annual Sports Personality of the Year.

“I think the World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn has done a great job so far with snooker. There’s more snooker than ever. More playing opportunities than ever. Full credit to Barry for what he has achieved. “

Happy days for everyone involved in snooker.

‘Snooker was built for TV like tennis’

As far as saying snooker is cheap TV, it is.

“Snooker was a sport made for television back in the 1970s because it is easy and cheap to cover. Otherwise, it would never be on TV. “

Most sport is considered cheap television in comparison to what TV pays for other entertainment when you look at drama and movies.

I stand by what I say as factual.

This is something I’ve learned myself only recently since working on TV projects.

It’s great that we never stop learning.

Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ronnie’s latest blog on Eurosport is out

Monique Eurosport, Interview ,

Ronnie was talking to Desmond Kane again today

The blog post contains videos and images not included here, so make sure you check them

Ronnie O’Sullivan exclusive: ‘This season has been a nightmare, but I’m good enough to end slump’

In writing his first blog of the season, Ronnie O’Sullivan explains to Eurosport’s Desmond Kane why he has struggled for peak form.

Despite losing a thrilling European Masters final 9-8 to Judd Trump earlier this month, the five-times world champion is not happy with his game after losing to Michael Holt in the last 16 of the International Championship and Shanghai Masters and the last 32 of the English Open to Chris Wakelin.

Here Ronnie discusses honestly the ongoing challenges he faces to remain competitive, and why he may have to accept losing to become a winner again.

—

‘I must improve to challenge for trophies’

It’s not been a great start to the season.

In fact, I’d say it’s been a bit of a nightmare.

I’ve feel like I’ve only played two or three good matches out of 15 – that works out at one good match in five which is not really going to be enough to win events these days.

To be fair, since winning the Welsh Open earlier this year, I haven’t gone beyond the last 16 of any event apart from losing to Judd in the European Masters final in Bucharest.

I’m not sure I want the pressure of it all. I’ve enjoyed branching out into other areas away from the table.

It is something I never wanted to do, but I felt I had no choice at my age and stage of my career .

Snooker is very hard these days. There are loads of events, and lots of travelling.

Unless you win tournaments regularly, there are not great rewards for the top players. But the demands are no less when you have to travel to Barnsley, Wigan and Preston to play qualifying matches.

It is not something I relish, but I accept it is part of the way the game has gone.

I admit it was hard sitting out the sport when I still felt like I had something to offer. That’s why I came back to playing after some time out. But after coming back, the idea of playing was better than the reality.

What I really missed was being at the events and getting the buzz from playing: seeing the boys, the TV people and the tournament officials.

They are like a tapestry of my life. That’s why I’ve enjoyed the punditry work so much, and working at the English Open in Manchester earlier this month.

In fact, I got as much enjoyment out of doing the punditry as I do playing sometimes – that’s great news as I look to the future.

‘I’m committed to snooker, but not only as a player’

I’ll still play snooker just in case everything else goes belly up. That’s the one thing I can do forever without having a boss.

But for now, it will have to fit in around all the other things I do. I need to make snooker become part of what I do, instead of all I do.

The fun bit is seeing if I can nick a competition now and again. I nearly managed it in Romania, but came up short.

I suppose the fans that follow me will have to get their heads around it, just like I’m trying to. I still know that on my game I’m capable of winning events. That I have no doubt about.

But finding the time to practice and play in most of the events at the highest level is proving very difficult.

You don’t always want to go to the club and play for four or five hours, the drive is not the same as you get older.

At the moment, the tour seems like it’s there to cater for 128 players which at my stage of my career makes it a mammoth challenge.

Playing seven matches is hard enough, but to go to Preston and Barnsley to qualify as well just makes it too gruelling.

It’s fine for the younger guys starting out, but it’s not really suitable for me. It wasn’t suitable for me five years ago so it’s only going to get worse as I get older.

But I also have to accept that my best days are probably behind me. I don’t think they are going to get any better than the previous five years I had.

I suppose what I’m trying to do is manage everyone’s expectations of me from this moment on.

Don’t get me wrong, I know things can be fickle. One minute you’re flying, the next you are not.

I know things can turn around quickly. No one wants that more than me.

2016/17 Season: Snooker on Eurosport

Monique Eurosport

Worldsnooker has published this article, explaining how and what snooker fans across Europe will be able to watch this season.

Thursday 23 Jun 2016 02:19PM

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Snooker fans throughout Europe can watch many of the season’s biggest tournaments anywhere and on any device through the Eurosport Player, the leading live and on-demand digital sport platform.

Eurosport Player is available to download and watch in 52 markets and in 20 languages, offering fans an all-access pass to immerse themselves in the greatest events on the global sporting calendar.

With live and on-demand content available anytime, fans can experience sport in the way that they enjoy best and access enhanced live features, such as additional feeds and camera angles.

The 2016/17 World Snooker Tour is now underway and a wide range of tournaments will be available to watch this season on Eurosport and via the Eurosport Player including all three Triple Crown events and the new Home Series.

Fans across Europe can subscribe from just 5.99€ a month and £4.99 a month in the UK, offering fantastic value and the chance to watch the best snooker stars on the planet battling for the most prestigious trophies.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We recently signed a momentous and wide-ranging ten year deal with Eurosport and we are delighted that many of our tournaments will be available to watch on the Eurosport Player.

“This gives the opportunity for our many millions of fans throughout Europe to watch snooker anytime and on any device. It’s shaping up to be a fascinating season and one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of drama and an incredible standard of play.”

To find out more about the service and range of compatible devices, click here.

Eurosport’s coverage of the World Snooker Tour events is also available in the UK via Sky, Virgin Media and BT TV.

Click here for more information on Eurosport’s ten year deal with World Snooker


Snooker 2016/2017 season on Eurosport

 All tournaments below available on the Eurosport Player:

 

Date

Tournament

22-24 June

Riga Masters*

5-9 July

Indian Open

25-31 July

World Open*

25-28 Aug

Paul Hunter Classic

30 Aug – 2 Sept

Shanghai Masters Qualifiers

5-10 Sept

Six Red World Championship

19-25 Sept

Shanghai Masters*

27-30 Sept

International Championship Qualifiers

3-9 Oct

European Open*

10-16 Oct

English Open*

23-30 Oct

International Championship*

14-20 Nov

Irish Open*

22 Nov – 4 Dec

UK Championship*

6-9 Dec

German Masters Qualifiers

12-18 Dec

Scottish Open*

15–22 Jan

The Masters*

24-27 Jan

China Open Qualifiers

1-5 Feb

German Masters*

6-12 Feb

World Grand Prix* (excluding UK)

13-19 Feb

Welsh Open*

24-26 Feb

Shoot Out (Europe, excluding UK)

3-5 March

Gibraltar Open*

6-12 March

Players  Championship* (excluding UK)

27 March – 2 April

China Open*

5-12 April

World Championship Qualifiers*

15 April – 1 May

World Championship*

 

*Also broadcast on Eurosport TV

Eurosport 10 years agreement

Monique Eurosport

Yesterday Barry Hearn made a major announcement:

Thursday 28 Apr 2016 03:30PM

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Eurosport signs new 10-year agreement with World Snooker and IMG

• Eurosport, the Discovery-owned broadcaster, underlines its position as the Home of Snooker across Europe through coverage of all major snooker tournaments, including the World Snooker Championship, for the 2016/17 to 2025/26 seasons inclusive.

• The agreement is an extension of its exclusive European rights to 18 tournaments of the World Snooker Tour, in addition to World Ranking Event qualifiers including the World Snooker Championship Qualifiers in Sheffield.

• The deal includes exclusive TV and digital rights to the ‘Home Nations Series’ in Europe*

• Eurosport has also secured the rights for the Indian Open, Paul Hunter Classic, 6 Reds World Championship and the Shoot Out (excluding the UK)

Eurosport, World Snooker and IMG have today 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 agreement strengthens Eurosport’s position as the home of snooker across Europe, allowing fans to follow the sport’s biggest and most exciting moments live.

The events will be shown exclusively on Eurosport in 54 markets across Europe*. 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.

Speaking at a press conference at the World Snooker Championship, Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer at 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.”

The long-term, multiplatform agreement includes the exclusive coverage of the inaugural ‘Home Nations Series’ comprised of the Welsh Open, Scottish Open, Irish Open and English Open.

*In the UK, four of the tournaments will be shown, but not exclusively: the World Championship, Masters, UK Championship and Welsh Open. The rights to the Players Championship and the World Grand Prix do not include rights to the UK.

About Eurosport

Eurosport, the Discovery-owned sports broadcaster, connects fans and athletes around the greatest sports events. Its channels, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 and Eurosportnews, reach 243 million cumulative subscribers across 99 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Eurosport.com is Europe’s No.1 online sports news website with up to 23 million visitors each month. Eurosport Player is an all-access pass to the greatest events on the calendar, available anytime and on any device in 52 countries. Eurosport Events specialises in the management and promotion of international sporting events. More information is available by visiting corporate.eurosport.com

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 25 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, a leading global entertainment agency.

Source: Worldsnooker