MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive broadcast and digital rights to telecast the third edition of the Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament, in India and the Indian Sub-Continent.
This year’s tournament being held in Hyderabad from 4 July to 9 July will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX, daily from 1700 hrs to 2000 hrs. In addition to the live coverage, snooker enthusiasts will also be able to live-stream all the matches on Sony LIV.
The Indian Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament and has raised the profile of cue sports in India. India has produced several top ranking players in the past who have contributed to the rising popularity of the sport; namely, Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, Aditya Mehta etc. Since its inception in 2013, India Open has seen the participation of leading snooker players from around the world including World Champions Neil Robertson, John Higgins, and Mark Williams as well as current legends Ding Junhui,, Marco Fu, Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham to name a few.
India, as host country, gets a wildcard entry for six snooker players giving the upcoming talent a platform to showcase their skills and rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the sport. 128 of the world’s top cueists convened to England for the qualifiers on 28th May competing for the coveted prize purse of £ 3,00,000. 64 top international snooker players have qualified for the 3rd Indian Open from the preliminaries that was held in Preston, UK which includes Michael White, Shaun Murphy, Barrie Hawkins, Ricky Walden, Mark Davis etc.
Sony Pictures Networks Sports cluster executive vice president & business head Prasana Krishnan said,“As broadcasters, we showcase a diverse range of content that will appeal to our audiences and we believe that we can help create new fans for some of these sporting events. Driven by consistent performances of leading Indian players, the popularity of cue sports has grown over the years. As an international professional ranking snooker tournament, the Indian Open will feature the best of International and Indian cueists. With the inclusion of cue sports in SPN’s sports portfolio, we are continuing our endeavour to have something for every viewer.”
President of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India and the International Billiards and Snooker Federation Capt P.V.K. Mohan added, “I am very pleased that SONY SIX is partnering with BSFI to cover the event live on all the five days of the tournament during prime time slots. Snooker will be taken to a whole new level with Sony SIX coming on board for the first time since Indian Open started 3 years ago. BSFI in its new partnership with SPN is excited about the prospects that are likely to develop in Cue Sports. The Indian Open is a marquee event which has become very popular with both domestic and international players and is highly rated among the ranking events that take place around the globe. In addition to this, both the International and Indian players have expressed their delight about one of the biggest sports channels of the country telecasting and streaming the event. This will create tremendous awareness and visibility for the tournament as well as the sport.”
The Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament will commence on July 4 and will be telecast live and exclusive on Sony SIX. Live coverage of the matches will also be available to live stream on Sony LIV.
