The first ever Six Reds World Championship will be broadcast by Eurosport and sponsored by 888sport.com…
Event organisers have secured live coverage on Eurosport for the last two days, including every ball of the final.
And Ken Doherty, the 1997 Crucible world champion and part of the organising committee for the new tournament, believes it will help put it on the snooker map.
He said: “This is a proper international event and Eurosport’s coverage will showcase it to the world, so we’re absolutely delighted.
“Eurosport have shown their commitment to snooker over several years and this is another example of how highly they value the sport.
“I know all the players are very excited that snooker fans will be able to watch the action live.”
Arnaud Simon, Broadcast Director of Eurosport and Eurosport 2, said: “Eurosport is committed to the promotion of snooker and delighted to offer fans across Europe LIVE TV coverage of the Six Reds World Championship.
“The event has attracted some of the greatest players and the fast-paced format will offer an additional entertainment aspect to the game and draw new fans.”
Doherty also welcomed the announcement that 888sport.com will be sponsoring the event.
He said: “It’s really good news that such a prestigious company is supporting the tournament.
“It’s a vote of confidence in the event and we intend to do them proud. It enhances the Six Reds World Championship, which is shaping up to be a truly memorable occasion.”
Todd Kobrin, managing director of 888sport.com, said: “We’re delighted to be involved with this exciting new event, featuring so many top players, and look forward to helping make it a great success.”
The Six Reds World Championship in association with 888sport.com features a host of star names, including John Higgins, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Hurricane Alex Higgins.
Six reds snooker is played using the same rules as the established game but with nine fewer reds. It has been described as snooker’s version of Twenty/20 cricket.
The tournament runs at the INEC in Killarney from December 15 to 18. Entry is free for the first two days with tickets costing €10 on the final two days.
The 160 players from as far afield as Brazil , India and the United Arab Emirates will be split into 32 groups of five for the round robin stage, played over the first two days, with the knockout phase getting underway on the 17th.