Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre extends World Snooker Championship deal
Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre will remain the home of the World Snooker Championship for another two decades following a landmark agreement revealed on Tuesday between the city council and World Snooker Tour, reports BritPanorama.
The deal ensures that snooker’s premier event will take place at the iconic Yorkshire venue until at least 2045, effectively ending speculation regarding a potential relocation to China or Saudi Arabia.
A substantial £45 million refurbishment of the theatre is planned, which will increase capacity by 500 seats, bringing it to nearly 1,500. Most of the funding comes from local and central government sources, with £10 million contributed from the public sector.
The championship will temporarily relocate in 2029, and possibly into 2030, during renovation work before returning to the expanded arena. Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn aims to eventually deliver a seven-figure winner’s cheque, although he acknowledges that this milestone will not be immediate.
Hearn commented, “We will definitely see it – but it will take a little while. It’s very difficult to compare darts and snooker.” He noted the remarkable growth in darts, where Luke Littler earned £1 million for his World Championship victory in January.
By contrast, Zhao Xintong received £500,000 for winning his first world title last year, a prize that has remained unchanged since Judd Trump’s triumph in 2019. Hearn believes the new deal for the Crucible provides a solid foundation for snooker to emulate darts’ upward trajectory.
“We won’t get to it in one jump. But I think we’ll have some sort of plan in a few weeks’ time to be able to share with you during the Crucible,” Hearn added, aspiring to increase the overall prize pot to £5 million, more than doubling the current total of £2,395,000.
An important prize money announcement is anticipated next month as the World Championship kicks off, though a full doubling of funds will likely occur after the completion of the Crucible redevelopment in 2031. Hearn expressed the need for World Snooker to improve efforts in raising revenue to facilitate prize money growth.
Several leading players, including Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, and Neil Robertson, have voiced their support for keeping the championship in Sheffield for the coming decades, while no prominent player has publicly opposed the decision. Some, however, are reportedly less enthusiastic about staying put.
Hearn had a straightforward message for any players who might have preferred to relocate for higher earnings: “Enjoy snooker. Play it, mate. When you’re ready to run a business, I’ll let you know. Get your head down. Practice. Everyone can have an opinion. You were born to be a snooker player. The World Snooker Tour was born to run businesses. And we’re not bad.”
In a sport where tradition intertwines with ambition, the decision underscores the balance between heritage and the pursuit of modernism in the world of snooker — a reminder that while the game evolves, its roots remain deeply entrenched in Sheffield’s storied Crucible.
