The World Snooker Championship returns to its traditional place in the sporting calendar in 2021 and the BBC and Eurosport will have comprehensive live coverage from 17 April to 3 May.
Coming just eight months after the 2020 tournament took place, thanks to its postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, the greatest prize in the sport is once again up for grabs at Sheffield’s iconic Crucible Theatre.
When Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Kyren Wilson last summer, he lifted the world title for a sixth time, drawing level with Steve Davis and Ray Reardon in the pecking order of snooker’s world champions.
Another triumph in 2021 would see him equal Stephen Hendry’s record of seven titles, but ‘The Rocket’ will have plenty of competition, including fellow world champions Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson and John Higgins, who all know what it takes to succeed at the Crucible.
For 17 days each year, 32 of the very best snooker players on the planet go through a test of endurance, skill and mental toughness with an ultimate goal – to lift snooker’s most famous and coveted trophy.
The tournament has been running since 1927 and is steeped in history, from the days of Joe Davis, through the 1980s when snooker became the biggest sport in Britain, to the modern era when greats such as Ronnie O’Sullivan have graced the green baize.
Since 1977, the tournament as been staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, renowned for its unique and intense atmosphere, though this was unfortunately missing in 2020 due to the pandemic.
However, fans will be allowed in to watch snooker’s biggest tournament, with the capacity set to increase throughout the 2021 event and the final could be played in front of a full house.
Always one of the highlights of the sporting year, the World Snooker Championship promises to provide 17 days of slow-burning tension and drama and it will all be broadcast live in its entirety across BBC TV and Eurosport.
Full details of each broadcaster’s coverage can be found below, while further information, including match schedules, tournament draw and live scores can be found via the World Snooker Tour website – wst.tv.
BBC Sport will bring snooker fans its usual comprehensive live coverage of the World Snooker Championship across BBC TV and online.
Viewers can watch the action from start to finish across BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Red Button, with online users able to watch uninterrupted live coverage of both tables via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
The BBC presenting team returns to hosting its coverage on-site in Sheffield this year, after basing its studio coverage of the 2020 tournament from IMG’s studios in west London.
After missing recent BBC snooker events due to family reasons, Hazel Irvine makes a welcome return to the presenting team at the Crucible this year.
She and fellow presenters Seema Jaswal and Radzi Chinyanganya will guide viewers through all the action throughout the 17-day tournament, primarily from its usual Sheffield studio position inside the Winter Gardens, directly opposite the Crucible Theatre.
The BBC’s regular expert team of analysts and commentators include snooker legends Steve Davis, John Parrott, Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, Alan McManus and Dennis Taylor. After missing the 2020 tournament, John Virgo returns to the BBC commentary box at the Crucible this year.
Also part of the BBC on-air team will be 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans and former World Championship semi-finalist Joe Perry, while regular master of ceremonies Rob Walker will be part of the commentary team.
The BBC’s round-the-clock network TV coverage will include regular live programmes covering the morning, afternoon and evening sessions, as well as nightly highlights and late-night Snooker Extra shows on BBC Two.
The majority of the BBC’s output will be broadcast on BBC Two, except on Saturday afternoons when coverage switches to BBC One (excluding 17 April due to the funeral of HRH Prince Philip), while BBC Four will also show live evening coverage up to the final weekend of the championships.
All of the BBC’s live TV coverage, as well as separate live uninterrupted feeds of both match tables, will be available to watch online via the BBC Sport website and full programmes can be viewed live or on-demand via the BBC iPlayer.
CLICK HERE for the full BBC TV schedule
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Eurosport will also broadcast extensive daily live coverage of the 2021 World Snooker Championship from the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Eurosport 1 will screen full live coverage from all 17 days of the entire championships, with action from across both tables all available online, uninterrupted and ad-free via the subscription service Eurosport Player.
Colin Murray will present Eurosport’s live coverage throughout the tournament, based in a studio overlooking the Crucible Theatre, with analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds, and on-site reports and interviews from Rachel Casey.
Six-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will also be part of the presentation team, while the channel’s commentary team will be led by David Hendon, Philip Studd and Phil Yates. It will also feature 1986 world champion Joe Johnson, plus tour professionals Dominic Dale and Anthony Hamilton.
CLICK HERE for the full Eurosport schedule
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