Snooker event with £180,000 prize set for TV blackout despite Ronnie O’Sullivan playing

The news that the cherished Snooker World Grand Prix will not be televised on free-to-air television in the upcoming year has left UK snooker lovers perplexed. A drastic site change has resulted in the event’s removal from ITV’s schedule, despite its success in January when Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Judd Trump in Leicester.

The 32-player tournament is packing up and traveling nearly 6,000 miles east to Hong Kong. This is the first time the competition has taken place outside of Britain since it began a decade ago. With the added allure of a huge £180,000 prize for the winner, the Grand Prix, which begins on March 4, 2025, promises to revive the excitement of a big ranking event in the area after a 35-year break. The event will take place at the gleaming Kai Tak Sports Park.

ITV issued an official statement expressing sadness over the tournament’s worldwide expansion: “ITV Sport has had a fantastic association with the Snooker World Grand Prix throughout the years. We regretfully won’t be broadcasting the tournament next year due to the venue relocation to Hong Kong and the live broadcast timings for a UK audience. In the future, we hope to be able to maintain our working partnership.

With aspirations to expand internationally, the World Snooker Tour is poised to make history and raise the sport’s profile internationally. “We are really thrilled to be bringing such a huge event to Hong Kong,” said CEO Simon Brownell, expressing his excitement. This action is consistent with our plan to further globalize snooker by expanding the distribution of the game’s major competitions worldwide. For us, Hong Kong is a market and region of special importance. We are thrilled to be using this brand-new, top-notch facility.