The 888.com World Snooker Championship will be the high point of the 2006 world snooker calendar. Since 1977, the championship has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and draws the best players from around the world, with the world’s top 16 seeded players joined by 16 more that have reached the finals by winning their matches through the qualifying rounds.

This deal ends the long-term relationship between the World Snooker Championship and tobacco sponsor Embassy. In the year 2005, the final was watched by a peak audience of 7.8 million on BBC television channels.

888 says it is looking forward to working with World Snooker to bring a new, updated look and feel to the event, and has some “exciting plans to develop an innovative program of promotional events. We are going to build meaningful relationships with both the event and snooker fans.”
Starting with the 2006 Masters, 888 has also become an associate sponsor for the other premier events in the UK snooker calendar, including the Masters, Grand Prix and UK Championships. Chief executive of 888, John Anderson, said: “Snooker is a household institution in the UK and is booming overseas. We are really excited to be playing a part in escorting the sport into a new era.” The sponsorship deal was brokered by sports marketing giant IMG/TWI.

The chairman of World Snooker, Sir Rodney Walker, said: “This announcement comes at the end of a very good nine months for snooker. We have secured the future of the World Championship at the Crucible, the traditional home of snooker. We have also signed a five-year agreement with BBC TV to ensure that the World Championship and the other main snooker tournaments remain on television. Now we can reveal this new multi-million pound sponsorship. I believe this is the first step in a transformation which will change the future commercial face of snooker.”
The title sponsor of the Masters, which is to be held at the Wembley Conference Centre, will be by SAGA Insurance. SAGA is the UK's leading provider of products and services specifically designed for people aged 50 and up. With more than 2 million customers SAGA provides insurance, financial services and holidays, publishes the monthly SAGA Magazine and owns and operates three radio stations.

Posted on: January 19, 2006

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