Category: Sport
Date: 27.10.2005
Printable version
World Snooker has announced a new deal which will keep the sport on 大象传媒 Television until May 2011.
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The 大象传媒 will continue to screen full coverage of four major tournaments - currently the Grand Prix, the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Championship - for the next five years.
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Snooker is among the most popular television sports. Viewing figures for the World Championship final in May between Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens peaked at 7.8 million.
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Sir Rodney Walker, Chairman of World Snooker, said: "In an era when many sports are turning to satellite networks for coverage, we are very pleased to be keeping snooker on terrestrial television until at least 2011.
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"This is excellent news for the many millions of snooker fans in Britain. The new deal is also very positive news for our players and for the sport as a whole.
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"The 大象传媒 and their production company TWI have set exceptional standards in the way they have broadcast snooker and this has been a key factor behind the sport's enduring appeal to the public.
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"We look forward to strengthening our relationship in the next five years and beyond."
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Barbara Slater, 大象传媒's Head of General Sports, said: "Snooker continues to be one of the most popular televised sports and we're delighted it's going to continue on the 大象传媒.
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"Snooker has been pioneering in terms of offering new technology, particularly with the introduction of interactive and broadband rights.
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"Snooker remains hugely popular with
our audiences."
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World Number One Ronnie O'Sullivan said: "I know how many people watch snooker on the 大象传媒 so it great news for them that they can keep watching us! I can't imagine the big tournaments being televised on any channel other than 大象传媒."
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John Higgins, the new Grand Prix champion, said: "This keeps snooker firmly in the public eye and it gives the sport a platform to build from over the next five years."
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Seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry added: "This is good news for snooker. 大象传媒 have been our broadcast partners in the UK for many years now and their coverage of snooker has helped take the sport to where it is today."
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The next snooker viewers can see on 大象传媒 will be the Pot Black Cup, a one-frame competition on 大象传媒 ONE, starting at 1.00pm on Saturday (29 October) in Grandstand.
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Grandstand will be presented by Hazel Irvine, with highlights of the quarter finals and live coverage of the semi-finals and final.
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