Eurosport to show World Snooker Championship qualifying

Eurosport will broadcast live coverage of the qualifying rounds of the Betfred World Snooker Championship for the first time on its TV channels this year.

Live qualifying matches from the 2020 edition of snooker’s biggest tournament will air daily on Eurosport 1 from 21-28 July, having only been previously available to watch via its online platforms in recent championships.

All eight days of the Betfred World Championship qualifying event will take place at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport, with the main table covered by Eurosport TV with full match commentary, while two tables will feature online via Eurosport Player.

All 128 players seeded outside the top 16 will be aiming to battle their way through to earn a coveted spot at the iconic Crucible Theatre for the final stages.

The final qualifying round – known as Judgement Day – takes place on 27 and 28 July, with the 16 winners going through to the main draw where they will face one of the top 16 seeds.

All qualifying matches will be best of 11 frames, up until the final round which will be best of 19 frames.

Each day’s play will start at 1.30pm, until the final round which starts from 1pm, while all evening sessions will start at 7pm, with Eurosport covering all the action on the two main tables.

Commenting on Eurosport’s coverage, World Snooker Tour (WST) chairman Barry Hearn said:

“We are delighted to come to an agreement with Eurosport to televise the qualifying rounds for the first time. The Betfred World Championship is a massive event on a global scale and the qualifying rounds are very much a part of it.

“For anyone who has not watched the qualifying rounds before, there is a wonderful sense of drama and anticipation as players battle for a place at the Crucible. The matches can make or break a season or even a career, as places on the tour are often at stake.

“From legends like Jimmy White and Ken Doherty to young guns hoping for a Crucible debut, as well as the top female players, there is a fantastic field. And the quality of play is extraordinary. This all deserves to go to a much wider audience. Television viewers on Eurosport’s network are in for a treat.

“In these difficult times we continue to provide extensive broadcast coverage of a range of events to many millions of fans. Our long term partnership with Eurosport goes from strength to strength.”

Jamie Steward, senior director of production and broadcast at Eurosport UK, added:

“We are delighted to offer passionate viewers across the continent extended live coverage for snooker’s biggest event.

“Eurosport broadcasts 19 tournaments live across the season and this further demonstrates our commitment to super-serving our devoted fans. By screening coverage on both linear and direct-to-consumer we are broadening the audience and ensuring as many people as possible can enjoy the coverage.

“Sport fans have been deprived of live content recently, so we are thrilled to further deliver what they crave.”

The 2020 Betfred World Snooker Championship will take place from 31 July to 16 August, with the tournament having been postponed from its usual April/May dates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Live coverage of the entire tournament will be broadcast on Eurosport and Eurosport’s digital platforms, alongside the BBC’s free-to-air coverage, with extensive daily action on BBC Two, as well as nightly live coverage on BBC Four for the first time.

For more information about the qualifying rounds of the World Snooker Championship, as well as match schedules and latest scores/results, visit the official WST website.

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21-28 JULY

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31 JULY – 16 AUGUST

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