Asian online betting operator Dafabet has replaced Betfair as the new title sponsor of snooker’s World Championship, the sport’s biggest tournament which takes place every year at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.
The Dafabet World Championship will run from April 19th to May 5th at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The top 16 seeds plus 16 qualifiers will be competing for one of the most famous trophies in sport, as well as a record top prize of £300,000.
Dimitris Karatzas, Dafabet’s managing director of online betting and gaming, said: “We are very proud to be title sponsor of snooker’s flagship event as the World Championship is rightfully recognised globally. We look forward to the excellent exposure we will receive over the duration of the tournament and of course seeing Dafabet at the iconic Crucible.”
The 17-day tournament will be televised in over 70 countries worldwide to a global audience of over 300 million, with Ronnie O’Sullivan looking to defend the title he won for a fifth time last year, with the likes world number one Neil Robertson, China’s Ding Junhui, Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy among the other leading contenders.
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are thrilled to bring Dafabet on board for our Blue Riband tournament. Dafabet sponsored the Masters this season so they are well aware of snooker’s massive global appeal and the tremendous exposure they will receive during an event which receives hundreds of hours of television coverage. We look forward to working with their team.”
John Cruces, head of sports marketing and sponsorships at Dafabet, added: “The World Snooker Championship at the Crucible is one of most recognised events in the annual sporting calendar, so to offer our continued support is a privilege. We’ve been very proactive in pushing our brand in 2014, the exposure we are sure to receive from such a worldwide recognised tournament will help enhance this.”