Snooker legend Jimmy White has called on TV bosses to put the sport on at an earlier hour.
This week, WPBSA chairman Sir Rodney Walker announced plans for a ‘6 reds’ experiment in a bid to raise popularity with younger viewers.
However, many of these viewers are currently disenfranchised because major finals finish at close to or after midnight.
For viewers watching in mainland Europe it is an hour later.
The last session of this year’s Betfred.com World Championship final will start at 8pm, with 11 frames to be played.
If it goes close, the peak viewing audience is likely to be long before the final ball goes down.
“The game’s never been so popular worldwide but we need to get our act together and get it on at a proper time,” White told BBC radio’s Sportsweek.
“We seem to be on really late at night, like it’s the last thing on all the time."
White said he didn’t mind 6 reds snooker but called for the return of the World Doubles Championship and a team event, such as the World Cup.
He wants the World Championship to remain at the Crucible. “It’s the absolute place. It’s just an amazing venue,” he said.
White will also be interviewed on BBC1’s Inside Sport at 11.10pm on Monday.
7 comments:
Jimmy White has called on TV bosses to put the sport on at an earlier hour,
Forget it Jimmy it will only fall on deaf ears. These lot that run the game couldn't run a p**s up in a brewery.
I have a couple of mates who struggle to stay awake past 11 - and they're only in their 30s!! If they don't get at least 8 hours sleep every night (preferably at least 9), then they're useless the next day.
Good to see Jimmy keeping an open mind about the 6 red experiment. If everyone was as receptive to new ideas as Jimmy is then snooker can only move forward.
Maybe Jimmy should try and get on the WPBSA board. If he's got an opinion and wants to express it then this could be the way. He carries as much clout if not more than anyone else in the game
NICK
jimmy is only saying what we have been saying on snooker forums for a few years, and Davie has been saying lately on his blog.
we all know it can only be good making it bit earlier start at night, but finally the message seems to be getting higher up.
Jimmy raises a valid point about timing and viewing.
To attract a bigger audience and better (no pun intended) sponsors, why not do as boxing does, and schedule the matches around the mass TV viewers.
Boxing takes place at 2am in Manchester to accommodate the US viewers. Why not schedule snooker to start at 5am or 6am for the Chinese viewers?
There was only a handful of paying punters at the Masters this year at Wembley, maybe folks could take in a few early morning frames before work.
Early morning snooker? China Open is proof that this is painfully annoying. As are the post-midnight setups.
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