New snooker channel to boost amateur event scene with live coverage and big prize money fund

Pluto Snooker 900 will go live from 14:00BST on Monday 6th October. The new channel - that can be downloaded for free onto a smart TV and mobile device - will show wall-to-wall snooker, 24/7, with 18 hours of live action per week from the 900 Series. The station will also show classic archive matches and episodes from Ronnie O'Sullivan's 'Rocket Method' coaching series.

The Snooker 900 concept first hit our screens a few years ago, entertaining us with a fast, exciting brand of green baize action that saw contestants compete in single frame matches against both a shot and match clock.

Frames can only last a maximum of 15 minutes - 900 seconds - hence the name.

Exclusively open to amateur players, Anthony Parsons won the inaugural edition in 2022, with youngster Hayden Staniland victorious in series two. Both cueists collected £10,000 from their respective finals nights.

Since then, the unique 900 format has also been used on the World Seniors Snooker Tour with events won by Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty and Igor Figueiredo.

However, the 900 will go up another level on Pluto TV, with over half-a-million pound in prizes to be won over the next year from the tournament.

This is a huge deal for snooker away from the professional circuit. With the opportunity to compete in a live broadcast event for significant prize money, this will no doubt create a big buzz amongst players throughout the amateur ranks.

Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Snooker 900 "puts real money back into the amateur game"

Pluto TV is also involved with a very similar product in the darts world - the Modus Super Series - that has been successfully running for a few years now.

Young darting superstar Luke Littler regularly featured and won on the Series before joining the professional ranks where he has since become a household name.

The new-look Snooker 900 plans to give junior players a platform they can showcase their talents on, as well as those from the women's and disability scenes.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has thrown his support behind the new channel and the event, and is excited what it could do for the prosperity of the sport.

O'Sullivan, who is set to be involved with Pluto Snooker 900, said: "Snooker has been my whole life, but sometimes I look around and wonder where the next bright, young superstar is going to come from.

"Young players don’t always get the chance to play under the lights or in front of the cameras, and that’s why Snooker 900 is so important. This channel gives them a proper stage, whether it’s women, juniors or disabled players, and puts real money back into the amateur game.

“For me, it’s about giving back and helping to inspire the next generation while showing fans a faster, more exciting way to enjoy the sport."

Jason Francis has been the brainchild behind several snooker shows, and is the creator of the 900. Looking forward to the brand reaching new heights with this Pluto TV arrangement, Francis commented: "When I came up with Snooker 900, the dream was to create a format that could bring snooker to a new generation while still thrilling the purists.

"To see it now become the focus of the first dedicated snooker channel on Pluto TV - and to have Ronnie O’Sullivan backing it - is beyond anything I imagined."

Pluto Snooker 900 will raise its curtain next week with a special 'Legends League' featuring John Parrott, Tony Knowles, Joe Johnson and Tony Drago. Ken Doherty and Jimmy White will also make appearances on Monday when they take part in challenge matches.

There appears to be a mixture when it comes to the format of matches for this new edition, with multi-frame contests included but still under 900 rules per frame.

Fans in the United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland will be able to access the Pluto Snooker 900 channel.