Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2015 - 2024

WPA UPDATE

The WPA is concerned about the number of rumours that are being spread in an attempt to damage the upcoming Jinan Heritage Classic 8-Ball tournament in China.

It is true that some players are still awaiting payment of their prize money from the recent China Open, which is a seperate issue and is being pursued by the WPA. The Jinan event has nothing whatsoever to do with the organiser of the China Open and the event is sponsored and guaranteed by the government. So the risk of whether or not players will be paid from this event surely must be minimal to say the least.

Prize money for the Jinan event is around $480,000 and is an event for 96 men and 48 women. In the overall scheme of things, this is quite decent prize money for our sport.

It is also worth mentioning that the WPA has the 10-Ball World Championship on its calendar for November, two events, one for 96 men and the other for 48 women. Prize money for these events is approximately $475,000.

Besides this, in October we also have another new ranking event, this time in Korea, the Guri City International, also for men and women.

While there is always room for improvement, hopefully we keep on learning and we are constantly working harder for the betterment of the sport and trying to increase the number of opportunities for those who support us.

World Snooker Partners With Rigour Media For Digital Expansion In China

World Snooker has licensed digital rights in China to Rigour Media, in a new ten-year deal.

The agreement gives Rigour exclusive control of digital audio-visual rights in China, for all World Snooker events until 2027. Fans throughout China will be able to watch World Snooker tournaments using Rigour Media’s platform Superstar Online as well as other sub-licensed platforms.

This wide-reaching deal also includes e-gaming rights, e-community and social media rights, licensing and e-commerce and an official membership scheme in China.

World Snooker and the sport’s governing body the WPBSA have worked closely with Rigour Media in recent years. At the official academy in Beijing run by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association and the WPBSA, Rigour is the training and technology partner. And at major professional tournaments including the World Championship, Rigour provides the on-screen technology which tracks the position of the balls on the table.

World Snooker recently announced a new agreement with China’s national broadcaster CCTV to televise snooker events, which also runs until 2027. CCTV currently broadcasts four ranking events in China plus the World Cup, UK Championship, Masters, Welsh Open and World Championship.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing to announce the agreement with Rigour Media, World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to sign this long-term agreement with Rigour and we look forward to working with their team for many years to come.

“Snooker has grown in China at an astonishing rate in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down. We have capitalised on this expansion with more tournaments, more prize money for the players and more snooker to watch for fans, both on television and online.

“These ten-year deals with CCTV and Rigour Media will allow us to continue our long term strategy of developing and exploiting the vast popularity of snooker in China. And for the hundreds of millions of snooker fans in the country this is fantastic news as they will have more and more opportunities to watch the best players at the biggest tournaments.

“There is also scope within this agreement to develop areas which will bring fans closer to the players, as Rigour have already done through their Superstar Online platform.

“Alongside our friends at the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association, Rigour and CCTV we look forward to building a very bright future for our sport in China.”

Rigour has also partnered with the Chinese Baseball Association to provide technological services to the CBA Baseball League for its television coverage and training. Rigour provided sports data analysis for the Chinese national tennis team and baseball team at the 2017 National Games, and provides technical training support and data analysis for the Chinese Winter Games Training Centre.

21 August 2017
MEDIA RELEASE
CHINA OPEN PRIZE MONEY

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is very concerned over the lateness for payment of prize money to players from the 2017 China Open 9-Ball Championship that ended on 11th May

WPA President, Mr Ian Anderson wrote to the CBSA last Tuesday requesting an urgent update on the situation. No reply has been received as yet. He said it is most unfair that players should have to wait so long for their hard earned money, not only is it so far a loss of income, but for many there have been significant amounts of expenditure for them to travel to China, pay their accommodation and living expenses, and now they are expected to wait months to get some money back.

Mr Anderson said that the WPA is unaware of the alleged delayed payment announcement to players prior to the tournament. He said that if players knew of this in advance they could have made other arrangements to carry them through, or perhaps they may have decided against playing the tournament at all.

The WPA has its contract with CBSA and not with the promoter. The CBSA has the contract with the promoter, Mr Xu. This is not the first time there have been issues over payments connected to this event. The WPA itself is paid a sanction fee for the event, but it's never paid on time, still not paid for this year. On one occasion we had to wait almost two years for payment. In all contracts it is clearly written that all parties are expected to be paid immediately after the event, but no later than thirty days after completion.

Earlier on in the year, CBSA promoted the Chinese Pool World Championship in Yushan. Players from this event were also kept waiting for three months to collect their prize money, as was the WPA.

"These late payments and denial of blame are damaging to the reputation of CBSA, it is clearly their sole responsibility", Mr Anderson said. He added that this is a failure of the CBSA for not ensuring that payments are met on time, and hoped that the CBSA would pay closer attention to such serious matters in future.

Ishaun Singh
WPA Secretary

Calendar Change

Dear All

There is a change in schedules. The women’s 9-Ball World Championship will be played in the Hainan Province, Chengmai County, China 5-12 November.

The World 10-Ball Championships scheduled for November in Manila has been been deferred to 2018.

Ishaun Singh
Secretary

2018 US Open One Pocket & US Open Bank Championships to be held in Las Vegas

CueSports International, Henderson, NV (Sept. 1, 2017) --- CueSports International is excited to announce that the 2018 US Open Bank Pool Championship will be March 20-22 at Griff’s in Las Vegas and it will be followed by the 2018 US Open One Pocket March 22-25.

Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts and time constraints, CSI has cancelled the 2017 US Open One Pocket previously scheduled for December. We regret any inconvenience this may cause for players who had planned to attend.

The 2018 US Open Bank Pool Championships will begin Tuesday, Mar. 20. It will be a short-rack format using a 9-ball rack, double-elimination. The race will be to four on the winner’s side and to three on the loser’s side. The finals will be a single race to 5. The entry fee is $240, which includes a $25 administration fee and a $15 green fee. A minimum of $2,500 will be added. If the field reaches 48, $5,000 will be added.

The 2018 US Open One Pocket Championships begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 22, as the Bank Pool Championship draws to a close. It will be double elimination, race to 4 on the winner’s side and a race to 3 on the loser’s side. The finals will be a single race to 5. The entry fee is $350, which includes a $25 administration fee and a $25 green fee. $5,000 will be added.

Both events will be played at Griff’s, 3650 S. Decatur Blvd in Las Vegas. The tournaments will be played on 9-foot Diamond tables with Simonis 860 Tour Blue Cloth and Cyclop balls.

CSI will begin taking entries for the tournaments Oct. 1, 2017.

For more information, contact Mary Coffman, CSI Marketing Manager, at 702-719-7665 or by email at mary@playcsipool.com.

CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events like the US Bar Table Championships, US Open 10-Ball Championship, US Open 8-Ball Championship, and much more. For more information, visit www.playcsipool.com or call CSI at 702-719-POOL.

CueSports International (CSI) ◊ 2041 Pabco Rd., Henderson, NV 89011 ◊ 702-719-7665 ◊ 866-USA-POOL

D88 Sponsor German Masters

World Snooker is delighted to announce D88 as the new title sponsor of the German Masters world ranking event.

The D88 German Masters will run from January 31st to February 4th at the famous Tempodrom venue in Berlin.

The tournament was first staged in 2011 and has since become one of the highlights of snooker’s global calendar. The Tempodrom seats 2,500 fans and is described by many players as one of the best venues of the circuit,

Anthony Hamilton won the title last year by beating Ali Carter in the final, while former winners include Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ding Junhui and Mark Selby.

The event will receive extensive live television coverage from Eurosport and throughout the Middle East and Asia.

The initial qualifying rounds will be staged from December 19 to 22 in Barnsley, with 128 players each needing to win two matches to make it to the final stages in Berlin, to compete for the trophy and a top prize of £80,000.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are thrilled to welcome D88 on board to sponsor an extremely prestigious tournament at an iconic venue. When the Tempodrom is packed out, the fans generate an atmosphere which is hard to match in any sport. That helps make it one of the most popular tournaments for all of the top pro players.

“We look forward to building a strong relationship with the D88 team.”

Sam Roscoe of D88 added: “We are excited to sponsor the German Masters and we hope that this partnership will improve snooker’s popularity in Asia. It’s a mutual benefit for both parties. Being a leading Asian online gambling company, D88 has devoted itself to providing the best online entertainment experiences for all our online users and we are honoured to have the opportunity to be part of this professional ranking snooker tournament.

“D88 has sponsored events in many different domains and the World Snooker Tour is our next step. We are confident that the German Masters will find D88 to be an extremely effective and valuable global marketing and branding platform.”

Tickets for the final stages in Berlin are on sale now but sessions are selling out so fans must book fast – for details seewww.snookerstars.de

MEDIA RELEASE

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is delighted to announce a new development for the promotion of Chinese 8-Ball. An agreement with UK based International Chinese Eight ball Association (ICEA) has been reached and they will act in the future as the official authority for the discipline providing many new opportunities for players worldwide. WPA President Ian Anderson said that it is a great new venture for the WPA. “We have seen the keen interest in recent times with this version of our long established game of 8-Ball, and it has great appeal to not only the traditional pool players, but also many snooker players because of the equipment the game uses”. "This has been the most popular form of pool in China forever, with about 80% of the players there favouring this game, and we are now seeing quite a growth in interest from many other countries”, Anderson added. A schedule for 2018 events of this discipline will be announced soon.

Ishaun Singh
WPA Secretary

888sport Sponsor Snooker’s European Masters

World Snooker is delighted to announce that next week’s European Masters in Belgium will be sponsored by 888sport.

The 888sport European Masters will run from October 2 to 8 in Lommel and it will be the first ranking event to take place in Belgium for 23 years.

Televised by Eurosport, the tournament carries a top prize of £75,000

Among the star names competing for the trophy will be World Champion Mark Selby, defending champion Judd Trump, snooker legend John Higgins and home favourite Luca Brecel.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are thrilled to bring 888sport on board as title sponsor for this prestigious world ranking event. 888sport has given fantastic support to snooker over the years having sponsored a wide range of events in the past, and we know they are a great team to work with.

“It is going to be a sensational week of top class action in Lommel with so many top stars in action. Luca Brecel is one of our sport’s rising stars having won his first ranking title last month in China. We know he will get tremendous support from the passionate Belgian fans and it will be fascinating to see how deep he can go in his home tournament.

“We are building the popularity of snooker throughout Europe and this event in Belgium is another step forward.”

Itay Pazner, SVP of B2C, 888 Holdings said: “We are proud to be teaming up with World Snooker again and delighted to be an integral part of what is lining up to be one of the most exciting events European Snooker has seen in a long, long time.”

Tickets for the European Masters are still available but fans must book fast, for details see www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Mika Immonen Headlines Group Draws at BottleDeck.net 77th World 14.1

Reigning World 14.1 Champion Mika Immonen could become the first consecutive back-to-back World 14.1 Champion in this millenium. A feat not accomplished in 34 years since 1982-1983 wins by Steve Mizerak

New York City- Mika Immonen will take the #1 seed for the event as he headlines Group 1 of the Bottledeck.net 77th World 14.1. This year four groups of 8 players will play 7 matches each to qualify for the next stage of the event, the double elimination rounds and then finally the single elimination round until the World 14.1 Champion is crowned. Immonen has been in 3 World 14.1 finals in 11 tries, so his vast experience will come into play in achieving a feat no one has managed to do this millenia, win back-to-back.

He will have his hands full as he faces top American 14.1 pro Danny Harriman of Missouri in his group. And then top contenders such as California's John Schmidt, Darren Appleton of England, and the king of 14.1 Germany's Thorsten Hohmann, all of which are former World 14.1 winners. New York's Tony Robles, Max Eberle of Las Vegas, and Philippines sensation Lee Van Corteza are also big threats with Hall of Famer Danny Barouty and Scotland's Jonni Fulcher not far behind.

Full week access pass is on sale now for $99 for 60 hours of world class 14.1 coverage of all the marquee matches each of the 7 days of the event at WorldStraightPool.com

Group 1
Mika Immonen FIN
Danny Harriman USA
Del Sim SCO
Pascal Dufresne CAN
Mark Kendall CA
Robert Madenjian CT
Tom Gleich CA
Thomas Walsh OR

Group 2
Thorsten Hohmann GER
Lee Van Corteza PHL
Eddie Kunz NY
Rhys Chen JAM
Tom Karabotsos IL
James Heller NJ
Bob Coates NY
John Schott NY

Group 3
Darren Appleton ENG
Tony Robles NYC
Olli Turkulainen FIN
Frank Scharbach GER
Hunter Lombardo FL
Michael Yednak NYC
Gene Ok NY
Ed Culhane NJ

Group 4
John Schmidt USA
Jonni Fulcher SCO
Max Eberle NV
Danny Barouty CA
Sean Morgan AK
Holden Chin NY
Noah Vogleman FL
Mark Finklestein NY


Photograph used courtesy & copyright of ©Natasha Eng

Partypoker set to sponsor Mosconi Cup XXIV

Matchroom Multi Sport is delighted to announce partypoker as the title sponsors for the 24th annual Mosconi Cup at Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas from 4th to 7th December.

partypoker.com is one of the oldest, most recognised and trusted online poker brands. Launched in August 2001, partypoker.com is one of the pioneers of the online poker industry.

The partypoker Mosconi Cup returns to Las Vegas this winter as Team USA look to finally wrestle the famous Cup back from the hands of the Europeans. Renowned coach Johan Ruijsink has taken over the reigns as captain for the hosts, who hope he can have them same impact on America as he did with Europe while Marcus Chamat’s men are out to continue to reign supreme on pool’s greatest stage.

Managing Director of partypoker Tom Waters said: “I am very pleased to announce this partnership with Matchroom Sport that sees partypoker sponsor the Mosconi Cup this December. partypoker players will have the opportunity to win a trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas. More details will be available soon on partypoker.com!”

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted partypoker will once again be title sponsors of the Mosconi Cup. They have a long-standing relationship with both Matchroom Sport and the tournament, which is undoubtedly the greatest show in pool.
“This is one of the most eagerly anticipated partypoker Mosconi Cups for years. There is a strong feeling USA can turn the tide in Las Vegas and reclaim the famous trophy from European hands. The stage is set for a thrilling week and we are delighted partypoker are on board once again.”

partypoker Mosconi Cup XXIV takes place from Monday, December 4th until Thursday, December 7th and will be broadcast live throughout on Sky Sports in the UK. The tournament will have a wide international TV reach, with details of global broadcast partners to be announced in due course.
Tickets for partypoker Mosconi Cup XXIV are available now at www.mosconicup.com. Tickets start from $48 per session with season tickets comprising all four sessions from £161. Premium and VIP packages are also available.

BCA Selects Meeting Expectations as New Expo Management and Logistics Partner

Superior, Colo. - October 25, 2017 - The Billiard Congress of America announced today it has reached a multi-year agreement with Atlanta-based Meeting Expectations for expo management services beginning with the BCA Expo at the New Orleans Convention Center, July 11-13, 2018. Meeting Expectations will support the expo with layout and design, sponsorship package development and fulfillment, exhibit sales, marketing, logistics and more.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating the BCA's 70th anniversary in New Orleans during the 2018 BCA Expo," said Billiard Congress of America Chairman Chance Pack. "It is our responsibility to ensure the BCA Expo remains the industry's annual premier event in the billiard and home leisure industry. We intend to do this in partnership with Meeting Expectations. They have assembled an outstanding team who will assist the BCA in launching progressive initiatives, on and off the exhibit hall floor, to strengthen the annual event for exhibitors and buyers alike."

The 2018 BCA Expo follows a very successful 2017 event in Las Vegas at the South Point Hotel and Convention Center. With 301 booths and 87 exhibiting companies, the 2017 BCA Expo exhibit hall was comprised of 80,000 square feet of exhibit space and the Billiard Education Foundation's 29th Annual Junior Nationals tournament. The 2017 event also saw the very successful launch of the BCA Innovative Product of the Year program and a strong lineup of seminars providing tangible, immediately implementable business improvement solutions. On and off the floor, the event also featured a multitude of opportunities for networking among billiard retailers, room operators, manufacturers, distributors and players.

"We are excited to bring our expertise and energy to help drive the growth of this revered sport and industry," commented Christine Hilgert, CMP, senior vice president of Meeting Expectations. "We're looking forward to a long-term partnership with BCA Expo where, through our expo sales, customer care and show implementation services, we can create a transformative experience for all participants."
    

    
About Meeting Expectations
Founded in 1992, Meeting Expectations is a full-service meeting planning and association management company headquartered in Atlanta. With additional offices throughout the US, ME is comprised of more than 100 employees with meeting and tradeshow planning, association management, marketing, finance and technology services that allow for creative solutions to produce unique live event and membership experiences. The company has won numerous accolades for its work, including multiple Art of the Show awards from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events. For more information, visit meetingexpectations.com.
    
About Billiard Congress of America
Founded in 1948, the Billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, the premier annual industry trade show, instruction and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's game. For more information, visit bca-pool.com.

Be Aware of BCA Expo Hotel Room Scam Emails

BCA Expo exhibitors and attendees,

Please be aware there are companies soliciting past BCA Expo exhibitors and attendees to book their hotel rooms for the upcoming 2018 BCA Expo in New Orleans.

These companies are not contracted with the BCA and should not be trusted. All BCA partner hotels are located on the BCA Expo website. We have contracted with all BCA partner hotels after making personal visits to the location and agreeing in writing to the room pricing and other amenities that may come with lodging at our host hotels.

We have been made aware of other housing companies that may be aggressively pursuing you, or your company, to book your guest rooms through their company at supposedly significant discounts.

Unfortunately, some past attendees and exhibitors have fallen prey to these companies and have either: lost their significant deposits; been relocated with little or no warning; have not had the guest rooms they thought they had booked; or have not received reservations at the hotel they had thought were confirmed. This has caused great hardships and significant financial loss to these companies and individuals.

Below this letter is a sample scam email from a company acting as a representative of the BCA. Again, they are not associated or affiliated with the Billiard Congress of America and we encourage all members to be aware of the scam.

All communications to stay at BCA Expo host hotels will come directly from the Billiard Congress of America.

The 2018 BCA Expo three host hotels are:

Hampton Inn New Orleans Convention Center - Click HERE to book your rooms.
Hyatt Place New Orleans Convention Center - Click HERE to book your rooms.
Marriott New Orleans Convention Center - Click HERE to book your rooms.​

Sincerely,

Rob Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Billiard Congress of America

New Referees for EPBF trained and promoted

On occasion of this year's German Championships, four new referees from the DBU were trained and promoted to the EPBF referee group.

Bad Wildungen is the location where currently the German Championships for adult players are taking place. On that occasion, the DBU has requested a referee examination and instruction course from the EPBF. The EPBF Referee Instructor Thomas Overbeck has made his way rot Bad Wildungen and met Jasmina Gollas, Sarah Walecki, Christian Knieriemen and Christian Erfling on site.

All four German referees had already passed the newly installed EPBF rules course online and have proven to have a good base of substantiated rules knowledge. The test was about personal facts, capability of communicating in English language and skills on and off the table.

All four candidates have not only convinced their trainer but also surprised him with their high tech level of referee knowledge and behaviour. The EPBF is happy to welcome four new referees to their group which will definitely be an asset for future events.


Left to right: T. Overbeck (Referee Instructor), J. Gollas, C. Erfling, S. Walecki & C. Knieriemen

2018 Mosconi Cup - First two Euro ranking events announced

Italian Euro Tour and World 9 Ball on 2018 ranking list

WITH THE 2017 partypoker Mosconi Cup taking place at the Mandalay Bay from 4-7 December, Matchroom Multi Sport can announce the first two ranking events for Team Europe for the 2018 Mosconi Cup.

They are the Treviso Open in Italy running from 16-18 November and then the WPA World 9 Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar from 8-15 December.

The remainder of the calendar will be published in the New Year but both events will have the same historical Level 2 and Level 1 statuses.

Tickets for partypoker Mosconi Cup XXIV are available now at www.mosconicup.com Tickets start from $48 per session with season tickets comprising all four sessions from £161. Premium and VIP packages are also available.

2017 partypoker MOSCONI CUP is sponsored by partypoker, the number one name in online poker, Rasson Billiards who supply the Official Table; the cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith by Saluc. Predator is the Official Cue and Chalk of the event and Ultimate Team Gear provide all Mosconi Cup apparel.

Protect Official Distributors and Dealers

Dear distributors and dealers,

Thank you for your continuous support. Throughout the years of our business, we have received enquiries regarding warranty issues and would like to bring the following to your immediate attention.

We were notified that several unauthorized individuals are involved in the selling of our products. However, these people are not our licensed dealers and we are unable to determine the authenticity nor the origins of their Miki products. Buying from such individuals, you risk purchasing of counterfeit products. Therefore, with the best interests of protecting our dealers and consumers, Miki Co Ltd reserves the right to decline any warranty claims made under such circumstance. It is of the utmost importance to inform your sub-dealers that Miki Limited Lifetime Warranty applies only to products that have been purchased through our licensed dealers. We hope that this will deter any illicit business practice and direct end users to our licensed dealers all over the world.

Please see the full information of Miki Limited Lifetime Warranty here http://mezzcue.com/en/corporate/warranty.php Please see the full list of our hard-working and respected worldwide dealers here http://mezzcue.com/en/dealers/ We kindly request of you to share this formal statement to all your sub-dealers, clients, social media, billiards forums or any relevant platforms.

Yours Sincerely,
Kazunori Miki
Managing Director
Miki Co., Ltd.

Ultimate Team Gear dress the EPBF

The EPBF are delighted to announce that Ultimate Team Gear will be the official clothing supplier for the EPBF from 2018. In an agreement reached recently, the entire referee team along with the tournament staff will be dressed in the Ultimate Team Gear shirts.

“We have used the shirts from Ultimate Team Gear during the Atlantic Challenge Cup and have had some very good feed-back from the players” said EPBF president Gre Leenders. “I know the EPBF team are looking forward to their new shirts” Gre Leenders continued.

Ultimate Team Gear have been supplying sportswear for many different sports already although in the pool world, they are better known for the shirts worn at the Mosconi cup by both Team Europe and Team USA and of course, the world pool masters.

Ultimate Team Gear CEO Charles Peterson said "We are excited about this partnership with the EPBF to provide professional apparel to the organization and their players. Our products have exploded into the pool world because our material is light weight, dry fit, and have a comfortable fit that favours pool players".

“It’s great to have Ultimate Team Gear supplying our team of people with shirts that are Stylish and unique for our sport” IBPF President David Morris said. “I know UTG have shirts available with what we define as a collar, but I like this design and think that this is unique for pool”. “I am happy that the EPBF sports directors have allowed these shirts into our regulations, it now opens the door for our National teams to wear UTG shirts at the European Championships as well as the European tour” David Morris continued
Ultimate Team Gear shirts are available through their website www.ultimateteamgear.com and favourable prices are available to the EPBF members, teams or individuals so check out the website and order yours now.

APA announced as Team USA main sponsor

MATCHROOM MULTI SPORT is delighted to announce that the American Poolplayers Association (APA) has become the main sponsor for Team USA for the forthcoming partypoker Mosconi Cup which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Resort on the famous Las Vegas Strip from Monday 4th to 7th December.

Team USA will proudly wear the APA logo on their shirts for the duration of the event and the players will all be involved throughout to bring a behind- the-scenes look as the drama unfolds on a daily basis.

Not only is APA the Official Sponsor of Team USA, but they also bring the support of their nearly 250,000 members who will be rooting for the home team to reclaim the Mosconi Cup for the first time since 2009.

“The Mosconi Cup is the most exciting professional pool tournament in the world, and we’re thrilled to be the Official Sponsor of Team USA. We look forward to bringing our members and social media followers a side of the Mosconi Cup they have most likely never seen,” said APA Marketing Director Jason Bowman.

Matchroom Chairman Barry Hearn added, “It’s fantastic news that such a wide-reaching pool organisation as the APA has joined forces with Team USA to help get the message out to their hundreds of thousands of members across the States.

“The APA will be working with Team USA throughout the week of the Mosconi Cup to bring exciting and exclusive content to APA players across the USA. I’ve no doubt that this sponsorship has huge potential to both parties on an ongoing basis.”

Tickets for the Mosconi Cup are available from www.mosconicup.com

2017 partypoker MOSCONI CUP is also sponsored by Rasson Billiards who supplies the Official Table; the cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith by Saluc. Predator is the Official Cue of the event and Ultimate Team Gear provide all Mosconi Cup apparel.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

Jason Bowman, American Poolplayers Association: jbowman@poolplayers.com

Notes: MATCHROOM SPORT is one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and is responsible for over 1,000 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, they operate three pool events; the Mosconi Cup, the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Masters. In addition, the company produce a multitude of events in darts, snooker, tenpin, golf, fishing, ping pong, poker and boxing.

THE APA sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, with leagues throughout the United States, Canada and Japan. Nearly 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9 Ball League play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards. The APA produces four major tournaments each year—the APA World Pool Championships, the APA Poolplayer Championships, the APA Junior Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out nearly $2 Million in cash and prizes annually!

For more information on the APA, visit the official APA website at www.poolplayers.com

ESPN3 To Broadcast partypoker Mosconi Cup In USA

Matchroom Multi Sport can today announce the 2017 partypoker Mosconi Cup will be shown live in its entirety in the USA on ESPN3, ESPN’s multi-screen sports network.

Starting at 2pm EST on Monday 4th December, the partypoker Mosconi Cup is the annual Europe v USA 9-ball pool face-off, taking place at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, with Team America looking for their first win in eight years.

The ultimate champions will be the team that reaches 11 points first and play runs from Monday 4th concluding in an exciting climax on the afternoon of Thursday 7th December.

In addition, ESPN Latin America will bring exclusive coverage of the partypoker Mosconi Cup to South America.

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said, “We’re excited that once again, ESPN has given sports fans across America the chance to see what is without a shadow of a doubt pool’s greatest show.

“This year’s partypoker Mosconi Cup should be a close-run thing and anyone who thinks the USA will be brushed aside should think again. Europe has had it all their own way for a long time now but I think they’ll be in for a mammoth battle against an American side under the captaincy of Johan Ruijsink.

“The partypoker Mosconi Cup is pool at its very best and with so much at stake, it is a not-to-be-missed sports event,” he added.

ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

The network is currently available to 95 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.

Follow the PartyPoker Mosconi Cup on www.mosconicup.com and @mosconicup across social media.

2017 partypoker Mosconi Cup is also sponsored by Rasson Billiards who supplies the Official Table; the cloth is supplied by Iwan Simonis and the Official Balls are Super Aramith by Saluc. Predator is the Official Cue of the event and Ultimate Team Gear provide all Mosconi Cup apparel. APA are the Official Team Sponsor of Team USA.

MOSCONI CUP RETURNS TO ALEXANDRA PALACE IN 2018

Europe vs. USA set for another record-breaking year in London

The Mosconi Cup will return to Alexandra Palace for its 25th anniversary in 2018, with ticket details to be announced shortly.

Mosconi Cup XXV will take place from Tuesday, December 4 – Friday, December 7 when it returns to European soil next year in front of what is expected to be another record crowd for 9-ball’s biggest event.

The tournament made its Ally Pally debut in 2016 as a record 2,000 strong daily crowd witnessed the Europeans defeat USA 11-3. The 24th partypoker Mosconi Cup is currently taking place at Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas.

Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn said: “We’re very exciting to be returning to Alexandra Palace next year, where we witnessed sell-out crowds in 2016. To meet demand we have extended our capacity even further for 2018, but fans will have to be quick to secure their seats for the most anticipated event of the pool calendar.

“The Mosconi Cup is the biggest event in the world of pool and tickets will sell out quickly once again.

“Europe vs. USA is a great sporting battle, and the Mosconi Cup is undisputedly the biggest and best tournament in pool. We’ll be celebrating 25 years of the Mosconi Cup in 2018, and we’ll be doing it at a fantastic venue in front of yet another record-breaking crowd.”

Tickets for the 2018 Mosconi Cup XXV will be on sale shortly, with standard, premium and VIP Hospitality packages available. Full ticket details will be announced shortly.

BBC and World Snooker Extend Broadcast Agreement to 2024

The BBC will continue to broadcast all three of snooker’s Triple Crown tournaments until the end of the 2023/24 season.

The new deal is a five-year extension to the current agreement.

The BBC will continue to provide comprehensive live TV coverage and online streaming of the World Championship, UK Championship and the Masters, the sport’s three most prestigious tournaments.

The UK Championship is currently in progress in York, to be followed by the Masters in London in January and the World Championship in Sheffield in April and May.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “So many great moments in the history of our sport are synonymous with the coverage they have received on the BBC. The Triple Crown tournaments have a history which can’t be replicated and bring something extra special to snooker fans and those watching on the BBC alike.”

Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport said: “Snooker has been televised by the BBC since 1969 and we are delighted to continue this proud tradition until at least 2024. The new deal means that these events will continue to be televised free-to-air for many years to come, which is fantastic news for the many millions of fans around the UK.”