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SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

http://snookerscene.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... o-itv.html

Snooker will return to ITV for the first time in nine years with a new event to be announced today.

I will post details of Power Snooker after the official launch - happening right now and attended by Ronnie O’Sullivan and Barry Hearn.

ITV’s last involvement in snooker ended in 2001 with the third and final staging of the Champions Cup. They also screened the Nations Cup in this period.

Prior to this the ITV network broadcast four tournaments a season during the boom years of the 1980s: the International, World Doubles (later the World Matchplay), Mercantile Classic and British Open.

These latter two tournaments had best of 25 frame finals played over Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon.

The climaxes to these finals frequently drew high audiences, several of which were in excess of ten million.

Then two things happened which heralded the beginning of the end of snooker on ITV.

They used to share coverage with Channel 4 but when Michael Grade arrived as chief executive of C4 in 1987 he declared he wanted ‘a channel for people who don’t like snooker.’

In attempting to make the channel unique, this was perfectly fair enough but it meant ITV had to try and find the hours to properly show their events, not easy in the days before digital with so many other programmes competing for space.

Then in 1988 ITV won the rights to show a live first division football match every Sunday afternoon, eating up the slot traditionally taken by snooker.

ITV gradually scaled down to three tournaments, then two and then finally none at all.

The broadcasting landscape has changed, though. ITV now has four channels with ITV4 showing several hours of sport, particularly PDC darts – also headed by Hearn, football, boxing, tennis, motor sport and, currently, the Tour de France.

ITV4 will show eight hours live coverage of the new event, which will be held over a single day.

As I say, I will post details after it has been officially launched. I suspect it will attract a fair amount of comment as it involves changes to the standard rules.

The good news, though, is that ITV are back on board which must be a good sign going forward, particularly as Sky Sports are dipping their toes into the water with World Snooker once again after seven years with their new Shootout.


ill be honest this is not the route i belive snooker should go down it will not atract new crowds and it might ailianate existing fans.

Snooker is the Product you got to build on that and not change it

over the last 20 years Snooker has got faster and faster and i cant see any higher audiences coming with it going faster so why try making it even faster if proof is there it hasn't worked.

but having said that its good to see the portfolio of mainstream snooker channels growing that can only be a good thing.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Bourne

Why have they gone for Power Snooker instead of getting first in the queue for the 'brave new world' of the PTC ?

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

Bourne wrote:Why have they gone for Power Snooker instead of getting first in the queue for the 'brave new world' of the PTC ?


The PTC isnt 8 hours its about 16 hours per day for the first 2 days but your right they could show the Last 16 Through to the Final on the sunday

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Roland

Let's see how it turns out and not hold back on criticism if it sucks, but equally praise it if it adds something genuinely different for the fans.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Casey

It’s a stepping stone for ITV4, I said a few months ago there will be a ranking event on ITV4 in the next few years…this is the start of that process.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Let's see how it turns out and not hold back on criticism if it sucks, but equally praise it if it adds something genuinely different for the fans.

it will add something different and great 8 hours of snooker i just think it will add something different for existing fans that would go to wembly in the snow to watch Fu vs Harold and not new fans..... if that is the thinking.

but above anything this is a strong indicator on who will show the PTC Finals.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby N_Castle07

Does anybody have any idea of the rule changes for this event as of yet? I don’t particularly want to see rule changes but if its non ranking events then why not.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Roland

Power Snooker suggests a pool style break off doesn't it?

It can't be any worse an idea than onefourseven let's face it.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby N_Castle07

I've read the new snookerbacker blog and still don't seem to understand what this powersnooker is???

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

N_Castle07 wrote:I've read the new snookerbacker blog and still don't seem to understand what this powersnooker is???


nobody really does watch this space <ok>

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

this is also clashing with

Euro Players Tour Championship event four

October 28-31, 2010

Offenburg, Germany

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote:this is also clashing with

Euro Players Tour Championship event four

October 28-31, 2010

Offenburg, Germany

nevermind :redneck:

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

PTC vs Power Snooker....................sorry power snooker is sunday league stuff PTC Prem League <ok>

i will be more interested looking at PTC Results online than watching power play i know that for nothing

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Casey

wildJONESEYE wrote:this is also clashing with

Euro Players Tour Championship event four

October 28-31, 2010

Offenburg, Germany


:chin: Strange

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote:PTC vs Power Snooker....................sorry power snooker is sunday league stuff PTC Prem League <ok>

debateable PTC no tv no audience vs Power Snoooker ITV primetime, fun fast and sexy

PS 1 - 0 PTC

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

Power Play is rubbish in comparison even with cameras <ok>

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Wildey

you prefere that bullocks <doh> jesus christ all mighty each to their own i guess.

Re: SNOOKER RETURNS TO ITV

Postby Rocket_ron

StalinESQ wrote:
rocket_ron wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:you prefere that balls <doh> jesus christ all mighty each to their own i guess.

you guessed right


<laugh>

:shake: :sylvester: :selby: