Barry Hearn hints at major pay boost for Ronnie O’Sullivan and Co with radical change to World Snooker Championships
MATCHROOM kingpin Barry Hearn has suggested the Snooker World Championships could be on the move – and it could be good news for players’ wallets.
The 76-year-old sent a warning to Sheffield Council after dubbing the iconic Crucible “not fit for purpose.”
Hearn launched Matchroom in 1982 and has helped propel snooker into the mainstream.
The Crucible has hosted the Worlds every year since 1977, but only has a capacity for 980 spectators.
Hearn is desperate to upgrade the venue and has given Sheffield Council “three years” to sort the situation, with the Crucible’s current contract up in 2027.
On his podcast The Barry Hearn Show, the 76-year-old mooted the idea of a radical new direction for the tournament.
Hearn said: “We currently have a World Championship in England. And I stress the word world.
“Because there’s part of me that says, what I should be doing now with snooker is taking it all around the world.
“So perhaps there should be one year in Sheffield, one year in Saudi, one year in Beijing. And so on.”
Hearn indicated his preferred option was “to stay at the Crucible.”
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But he went on to warn: “I will move.
“Show me the love back. So I’ve stayed in an 850-seat arena for 40 years, knowing I can sell 4-5000 seats a day. It’s a lot of money [to give away].”
Hearn went on to claim he could raise players’ prize money to “£5-10 million” by selling more tickets.
He continued: “The Crucible is not fit for purpose.
“When you go backstage, today’s audience wants different things. They want better hospitality. They want more space.
“The players want more things. They want more practice room. They want extra tables. The press and the media want to have more, the list goes on.
“The hardliners say ‘I’ve been here since I was a boy.
“I was here with my grandad who’s long since passed’, I’m sympathetic to that. The Crucible made me.
“I want to stay in Sheffield, and I’ve told the Sheffield City Council numerous occasions over the last few years. They have three more years.”