UK snooker fans have been left baffled as it emerges that the beloved Snooker World Grand Prix won’t be broadcast on free-to-air television in the following year. Despite its success on ITV this January, where Ronnie O’Sullivan triumphed over Judd Trump in Leicester, the event is being cut from the channel’s slate due to a dramatic venue shift.
The 32-player competition is packing up and heading almost 6,000 miles east to Hong Kong, marking the first occasion the event has been held outside of Britain since its inception ten years ago. Kicking off on March 4, 2025, the Grand Prix promises to bring the buzz of a major ranking event back to the region after a 35-year hiatus, with the added lure of a bumper £180,000 prize for the winner at the shiny Kai Tak Sports Park.
Commenting on the tournament’s international leap, ITV released an official statement expressing regret: “ITV Sport has enjoyed a brilliant relationship with the Snooker World Grand Prix over the years. Due to the change in location to Hong Kong and the live broadcast timings for a UK audience, unfortunately we will not be showing the tournament next year. We hope to be able to continue our working relationship in the future.”
The World Snooker Tour is set to break new ground with its international expansion plans, aiming to elevate the sport’s global profile. CEO Simon Brownell expressed his enthusiasm: “We are hugely excited to be taking such a massive event to Hong Kong. This is a move which is in line with our strategy to have a greater distribution of snooker’s biggest tournaments around the world and further globalise the sport. Hong Kong is a territory and market of particular significance for us. We are delighted to be utilising this new world class venue.”
