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Timeline of snooker on UK television

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by I dream of horses (talk | contribs) at 07:13, 2 November 2022 (Typo fixing with AutoWikiBrowser, typo(s) fixed: nine day → nine-day, ’s → 's (2)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This is a timeline of the history of snooker on television in the UK.

1950s

1960s

  • 1960 to 1968
    • No events.
  • 1969

1970s

  • 1970
    • No events.
  • 1971
    • No events.
  • 1972
    • No events.
  • 1973
    • 21 and 28 April – The BBC covers the World Snooker Championship for the first time, albeit in very limited form with coverage limited to a semi-final (21st) and the final (28th) and is broadcast during the Saturday afternoon Grandstand programme.[4][5]
  • 1974
  • 1975
    • No events.
  • 1976
  • 1977
    • 28–30 April – BBC TV coverage for the first Crucible championship increases slightly but is still limited to highlights of the semi-finals and some coverage of the final on Grandstand and in an additional late night highlights programme.[7]
    • 3 December – The BBC shows coverage of the final of the first UK Championship, on BBC One's Grandstand programme.[8] The BBC has broadcast the event ever since, gradually increasing its coverage over the years.
  • 1978
  • 1979
    • 16-28 April – TV coverage of the World Championship is extended to include an early-evening "Frame of the Day" programme[11] as well as live coverage of parts of the final.

1980s

  • 1980
  • 1981
    • No events.
  • 1982
    • No events.
  • 1983
    • No events.
  • 1984
    • No events.
  • 1985
  • 1986
    • Following the 1986 event, Pot Black is put on hiatus as it is seen as outdated in the world of multiple events being broadcast on both the BBC and ITV.
  • 1987
    • No events.
  • 1988
    • ITV broadcasts all five editions of the World Matchplay tournament. ITV sees this event as being a replacement for the World Doubles Championship, which it had televised since that tournament began in 1982.[13]
    • 19–27 November – The UK Championship slims down to become a nine-day event and the BBC, for the first time, shows live and recorded coverage from each day.
  • 1989
    • No events.

1990s

  • 1990
    • No events.
  • 1991
    • 2 September – After five years, Pot Black returns.
  • 1992
    • No events.
  • 1993
    • 6 March – ITV ends its coverage of snooker after its broadcast of that year's British Open. It had previously shown around four events each year.
    • 20 October – Pot Black's revival ends after three events.
  • 1994
    • No events.
  • 1995
    • No events.
  • 1996
    • No events.
  • 1997
    • No events.
  • 1998
    • No events.
  • 1999

2000s

  • 2000
    • No events.
  • 2001
  • 2002
    • No events.
  • 2003
    • Eurosport broadcasts snooker for the first time.[14] The channel goes on to provide extensive coverage of the sport both in the UK and across Europe.
  • 2004
    • No events.
  • 2005
    • 8 January – Premier League Snooker is relaunched with Sky Sports being the broadcaster of the event, which takes place over a four-month period.
    • 29 October – Pot Black returns as a one-day tournament and is broadcast on the BBC's Grandstand. The event features eight players.[3]
  • 2006
    • No events.
  • 2007
    • 6 October – Pot Black is held for the final time after three events as a one-day tournament.[3]
  • 2008
    • No events.
  • 2009
    • No events.

2010s

  • 2010
    • October – ITV returns to the green baize when it broadcasts coverage of a new tournament called Power Snooker. The following year ITV signs a deal to show the next three events.[15]
  • 2011
  • 2012
    • No events.
  • 2013
    • 25 February-3 March – ITV makes a full return to snooker when it signs a deal to broadcast the World Open. This is the first world ranking event ITV has shown for 20 years.[17] It only shows the event once before it moves to Eurosport.
    • 19–24 November – ITV expands its snooker coverage when it shows the revived Champion of Champions tournament. Coverage of broadcast on ITV4.[18] It continues to show the tournament to this day.
  • 2014
    • No events.
  • 2015
    • No events.
  • 2016
    • 12–14 February – The Snooker Shoot Out transfers to ITV, which shows the next three events.[19]
    • 28 April– Eurosport announces that it will continue to show snooker's biggest tournaments for the next ten years with a new deal running until 2026.[14]
    • Eurosport makes some of its snooker coverage available on free-to-air television when it begins simulcasting coverage on free-to-air channel Quest.[20]
  • 2017
    • 8 December – The BBC announces a multi-year extension to its coverage of snooker's ‘’Triple Crown’’ events meaning that the Masters, UK Championship and World Championship will stay on BBC screens until the end of the 2023/24 season.[21]
  • 2018
    • No events.
  • 2019

2020s

  • 2020
    • 21–28 July – For the first time, Eurosport broadcasts coverage of qualifying for the World Snooker Championship.[24]
    • 19 August – The BBC broadcasts the World Seniors Snooker Championship for the first time.[25]
    • 13 September – FreeSports begins showing snooker when it begins its coverage of the first-ever ranking edition of the 2020 Championship League. FreeSports also covered the 2021 tournament. Earlier in the year, ITV4 launched the first sporting event after the pandemic caused a total shutdown of sporting events across the world, with this modified version of the Championship League.
  • 2021
    • 2 July – ITV Sport acquires the host broadcasting rights to the revived British Open. Eurosport, which had previously broadcast the tournament in the UK, will continue to show the event for European viewers outside of the UK.

References

  1. ^ "BBC Two Television – 27 March 1953 – Snooker: World Match Play Championships Final". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. ^ "BBC Two Television – 18 March 1955 – World Professional Snooker Championship". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Pot Black". UKGameshows.com. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  4. ^ BBC Genome Project - BBC1 listings 21 April 1973
  5. ^ BBC Genome Project - BBC1 listings 28 April 1973
  6. ^ BBC Genome Project - BBC1 listings 20 April 1974
  7. ^ "BBC Two Television – 29 April 1977 – Snooker". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Saturday TV". The Times (London). 3 December 1977. p. 10 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  9. ^ "BBC Two Television – 17 April 1978 – Snooker". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  10. ^ "Weekend broadcasting – Personal choice". The Times. 5 November 1978. p. 11.
  11. ^ "BBC Two Television – 16 April 1979 – Snooker". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  12. ^ "BBC Two Television – 22 April 1980 – Snooker". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  13. ^ Turner, Chris. "World Matchplay". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  14. ^ a b Eurosport pots 10-year deal with World Snooker
  15. ^ ITV4 pots multi-yearn Power Snooker deal
  16. ^ "Sky to televise World Snooker Shoot-Out". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  17. ^ "SNOOKER: ITV4 to screen 2013 Haikou World Open". 19 February 2013.
  18. ^ ITV to screen Champion of Champions event
  19. ^ "ITV4 To Televise Snooker Shoot-Out". World Snooker. 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  20. ^ China Open to be broadcast live on Quest
  21. ^ BBC retains World Snooker ‘Triple Crown’ rights to 2024
  22. ^ "Snooker Shoot Out Here To Stay As Eurosport And Quest Agree To Take Over As Host Broadcaster". World Snooker. 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  23. ^ ITV extends World Snooker Tour deal to 2022
  24. ^ Eurosport to show World Snooker Championship qualifying
  25. ^ SOTB (2020-08-18). "BBC to broadcast World Seniors Snooker Championship". Sport On The Box. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
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