Barry Hearn has talked positively of his talks with Sheffield City Council over the Crucible’s future as the venue for the World Snooker Championship, hoping for an agreement to be reached by the end of the year.
The current contract to keep the tournament at the Sheffield theatre expires in 2027 and the future of the event beyond that remains unclear.
Talks are ongoing between World Snooker Tour bosses and decision-makers in Sheffield, with various plans being touted.
Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport, has called for a bigger venue to be built in Sheffield, which does not seem especially likely, while a site fee has now been suggested as an option from local or central government to keep the World Championship where it is.
While discussions have been positive and Hearn says everyone involved wants the event to remain in Sheffield, the threat remains that the World Championship could move elsewhere in 2028 if he does not get what he wants.
‘It was more an exchange of views on where both sides are, which I appreciated,’ Hearn said of his meeting with the council. ‘I have to say I was impressed with the passion and commitment that Sheffield Council have got for snooker.
‘And I think they were very pleased to hear that we share that passion. We view the Crucible as the home of snooker, but again, we have to live in the real world.
‘So we had a very open meeting. We agreed to meet in another three months with a view to knowing exactly where we are by the end of this year. And the pressure is on, it’s one of those things, both sides are really happy here with each other, but we can’t turn away from the realities of sports life, which is centred around prize money.’
Hearn insists revenue streams need to be increased in order to offer bigger prize money to the players, and he isn’t especially fussed how those funds are rustled up.
‘I think both of us agree that this is something where Sheffield can only go so far, but with government assistance it can go further and it can be maintained,’ he said. ‘So the onus is still on Sheffield to come up with something in line with government, in line with our thinking of where the game stands in terms of prestige and respect. This is a major event in England, a major event.
‘Fingers crossed the government understand the significance of this event remaining in the UK and remaining in Sheffield. And we, I, the whole of World Snooker is a hundred percent committed to keep it in Sheffield.
‘You’ve got to get in as much income as you can, pretty basic, because then you can pay as much prize money as you can. Whether that income comes from sponsorships, whether it comes from gate income or whether it comes from site fees is irrelevant to me as long as it comes in. So I need a plan.
‘If it’s legal, I don’t care where the money comes from and I can’t be more basic than that. And that’s the world we live in, whether we like it or not.’
The world champion this year will win £500,000, while the winner of the next World Darts Championship will land £1,000,000 for the first time.
Hearn says snooker needs to move in line with that increase and wants Sheffield to help that happen.
The increase in darts prize money was largely down to a lucrative new television deal with Sky Sports, while snooker’s recent new contract with the BBC has not been enough to bring about such an increase.
‘We have a very valuable commodity,’ he said. ‘Really these players should be playing for four or five times the money based on the value of that media.
‘The new BBC contract is good, but it hasn’t doubled, hasn’t tripled, it’s gone up but modestly because you are, you’re governed by your background.
‘I want a bit more respect. We love Sheffield, we love the Crucible. In any relationship, if the other side doesn’t love back, it’s destined for failure. So at the moment we are engaged and I’m hoping in the next few months we’re going to get married again. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
‘I think compromise is in the air on both sides. And we can do something that maintains the event here and at the same time produces much needed finance to go back to the players.’