Barry Hearn, who has been WPBSA chairman for three weeks, has secured a one-year sponsorship deal with PokerStars, the world's largest online poker room, to back next week's Wembley Masters.
Hearn says the level of financial support being offered by the company is "acceptable" for a last minute deal and that it was "very difficult" to secure a three year arrangement so close to the event.
The online gaming industry is one of the few doing well in the current economic climate, so their interest in snooker is most welcome.
It also proves that Hearn has the contacts to bring some much needed money into the sport.
22 comments:
It's certainly different from Saga!
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared.
Hi Dave
How are you! Good show Barry, it was a 4/6 chance that the first sponsor would be a bookie. The sponsor is not a bookie, but a gambling friend.
The only surprise was a sponsor for the Masters before the off. I wonder if Betfred helped out as the kind dear Fred will at least break even with Jimmy standing at 125/1. Mr hey you
I didn't think it would take Barry long to set up some sponsorship deals. Now can he set up some backing for the Welsh Open which has been without a sponsor sonce the Regal deal ended in 2003?
Sorry this is off subject
.Have been watching a few of the Crondon Park matches this week and it strikes me that this idea could be taken a step further. As the betting sites want snooker like this would it be possible to create an (ULTIMATE)league featuring all 96 professionals and run it throughout the season with everyone playing everyone else. It could be made a ranking event in a way as everytime a player wins a match he would earn 100 points(creating a possible total of 9500 if that player won all his matches).
The players would be kept busy and would always have something to play for and the betting sites would have constant snooker betting opportunities.
Nick B
r.e nick b i think that would be a great idea you could have your ranking events and possibly 4 divisions with promotion relegation etc its only an idea but certainly worth looking into
dont think u would need the 4 divisions but it would be great if everyone could play everyone else
Not quite the same idea but Hearn is setting up a 'Cue School' for those who want to get on the main tour. Four events with an order of merit. Full details still being thrashed out.
at least things are being shaken up a bit which is not only good for the top players but gives fresh hope to those outside the main tour. full steam ahead its early days but things looking up already
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared.
Hello Dave
How are you! Mr Hearn will shake a few hands on his first miracle and deservedly so. Barry like most shrewd businessmen knows that the Sponsorship game is almost dead.
Sport has lost Tobacco advertising, and in some countries alcohol adverts is also banned. The “Do Gooder’s” are pushing for all gambling banned.
Barry has done marvellous in getting a full year, which means probable this one tournament. The sponsorship game is not any less dead for Barry’s one effort. ©
The sport of the future has to be entertaining, which men’s snooker is not. The money men of the future will concentrate on women’s sport as cosmetics and advertising women’s gear is bigger than the Tobacco industry.
Women’s snooker will or can be sports top earners. Pub and American pool are popular for some television companies but not polished as yet as “Entertaining” programmes. If snooker can survive for four years, it will be the only worldwide sport played without sweat. Mr hey you ©
I get a feeling that gears have began to turn behind the scenes to get snooker back into the public consciousness. It's a feeling of deja vu as the last time darts and snooker were huge draws was in the middle of a really bad recession in 80/81.
Mat Wilson
I bet Ali Carter wishes the CL counted towards head to head records, as he would finally be off the mark against Ronnie.
My tip for the Masters is Stephen Maguire. I feel that he won't encounter serious trouble until the semi, where he will probably face either Higgins, Ding or Selby. Tough game any of them, but he has found some form and I can't see Ding winning back to back titles and I feel Higgins is due a poor event. I did consider Selby but he has a tricky opener against Ding and I already tipped him for UK. The top half is possibly weaker and whoever comes through Ronnie v Robertson could then sweep through to the final. However Ronnie is playing pretty patchy stuff this season and has a tendency not to retain titles. While Robertson tends to lose out to Maguire a lot and I don't think will get past Ronnie in r1 anyway. So Maguire seems primed to land his first title in over a year.
Thats why i think there results should count on head to heads coz carter has now beaten ronnie and some people wont recognise it as a win.
Dave.
Does this mean the players cannot wear logo's of pokerstars' competitors?
Last time this happened the then board were hung, drawn & quartered for taking an earning opportunity away from the players (I'm sure Ian Doyle said it had cost some of his players £40,000).
Also, is this a full sponsorship package - i.e. All costs covered?
Unable to identify myself for genuine reasons (sorry, cannot go into that further).
Also, further to my question regarding what level of sponsorship Pokerstars are providing, as of 10.48am on 8/1/2010 why is there nothing on the World Snooker website?
I would have thought a major announcement as this would have been splashed all over the place, yet the website has'nt changed a bit. Even on the basis of 'Rome was'nt built in a day', it seems a bit unusual.
It is on worldsnooker.com
Hearn said he would have liked more money but it was hard to get this at the last minute
As for the logo question I've no idea
Fantasic. Hearn, I am sure, will make great success. Along with the rest of the snooker friturnity, He has my 100% backing also.
Best of five though is mickey mouse snooker though, so I don't think it should count. However, I do think the CL is a good event.
I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more best of five matches.
Its doesnt matter in tennis best of 5 sets or best of 3 are all included.these games should be included to give accurate head to head counts imo. premier league results count and they are short matches.
I think PL shouldn't count either, but three set tennis is more of a test than best of five snooker. Three set tennis is more like the best of nine snooker matches.
I like barry hearn is doing. Some of the things he does dont please me.
but snooker needs a injection of life look at the empty seats in scotland.
the players need to do more to promote the game to. maguire and co have to make themselves as media aware as ronnie is.
Post a Comment