The global snooker market

Abstract

Snooker ‘s international profile has changed dramatically during the last thirty years. In the 1990’s, the sport was very much dominated by the British Isles and the British Commonwealth. In 2021, there are events played and high quality competitors from across the world, most prominently China. Chinese interest in the sport, coming both in terms of professional players and tournaments has dramatically altered the face of snooker, bringing in new audiences and sponsorship to the game. This article will examine the reasons why the face of the game has altered during the last three decades, most prominently since Matchroom sport took a controlling interest in the organisation of the professional game in the last decade.

Keywords:

• Snooker
• globalisation
• China
• Billiards
• Great Britain

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Mr Phil Yates, Mr Matt Huart and Mr Dominic Dale for their valuable input into this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.