The inaugural Snooker 900 Global Championship will take place this week with a host of big names descending on the Crucible Sports & Social Club in Reading.
Featuring a total prize fund of £100,000, the invitational tournament adopts the emerging Snooker 900 format and will be broadcast live on Pluto TV.
A 20-player field has been assembled for the five-day competition, with the draw using a tiered entry system that sees the highest-seeded stars join the action later in the week.
The opening rounds and quarter-finals will be contested over the best-of-nine frames, before the semi-finals are played over 11 frames and the final increases to 19 frames.
When does the tournament take place?
The 2026 Snooker 900 Global Championship runs from Tuesday, May 12 to Sunday, May 17. One round will be completed in its entirety on each of the five days.
Who is in the draw?
Ronnie O’Sullivan headlines an interesting lineup, the Rocket entering the event having just triumphed at the World Seniors Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan compiled five century breaks to beat Joe Perry in the final on Sunday, and the 50 year-old also won the John Virgo Trophy last month which was contested using the Snooker 900 rules.
Former world champions Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham, Luca Brecel, and Kyren Wilson are among the other heavy hitters in the draw.
Veteran names Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Joe Perry, Matthew Stevens, and Tony Drago are also involved, while a handful of emerging talents complete the field.
2026 Snooker 900 Global Championship Draw
The draw and schedule below is subject to change
Round of 20 (May 12)
Pankaj Advani 5-1 Patsy Fagan
Simon Lichtenberg 1-5 Florian Nuessle
Tony Knowles 1-5 Levi Meiller
Billy Castle 5-2 Kaylan Patel
Round of 16 (May 13)
Dominic Dale 1-5 Florian Nuessle
Anthony Hamilton 3-5 Billy Castle
Tony Drago 1-5 Pankaj Advani
Joe Perry 5-0 Levi Meiller
Round of 12 (May 14)
Ken Doherty 0-5 Pankaj Advani
Matthew Stevens 3-5 Joe Perry
Jimmy White 3-5 Billy Castle
Stuart Bingham 2-5 Florian Nuessle
Quarter-Finals (May 15)
Kyren Wilson 5-4 Pankaj Advani
Shaun Murphy 3-5 Joe Perry
Luca Brecel 5-4 Florian Nuessle
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-4 Billy Castle
Semi-Finals (May 16)
Kyren Wilson vs Ronnie O’Sullivan
(12:00 BST)
Luca Brecel vs Joe Perry
(18:00 BST)
Final (May 17)
TBC vs TBC
(12:00 and 18:00 BST)
What is the Snooker 900 format?
The Snooker 900 Global Championship will be played using the snooker 900 format, which is designed to deliver quicker and more engaging matches for fans to enjoy.
Each frame lasts a maximum of 15 minutes and incorporates a shot clock, meaning players are forced to make decisions more quickly and adopt a more attacking approach than in traditional snooker.
The format’s popularity has gained momentum in recent times as it is generally aimed at creating a more television-friendly product.
How to watch Snooker 900
Live coverage is available on Pluto TV in selected regions, including the United Kingdom.
Pluto TV is also available online in USA, Canada, Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.
Featured image credit: Snooker Legends
I don’t really see the attraction of this event with its relatively small total prize money fund, other than perhaps an interesting mix of well-known and lesser-known players, plus the 900 format.
Vis-a-vis the 900 format, it’s needed much more in the women’s game, where due to the fact that very few women can control the cue ball well enough to consistently build breaks, in a typical frame you see repeated safety play — having watched some past Women’s World Championship matches (the 2026 event begins tomorrow), an average frame can easily last 45 minutes — such a long frame is uncommon in men’s snooker.
Something new(ish), will try to watch it – the earlier matches when it starts. Good to see snooker trying out new things – keep it fresh and interesting, especially so it can attract younger, newer viewers. Good. Prize money makes no difference at all to us watching. We like good snooker!
Now, all they need to do is make the ‘ball in hand’ rule – to stop all the other snooker issues!
First time watching this format on Pluto TV. Who decides on the entrants? Are the pockets bigger or is it my eyes?
The pockets are definitely more generous than matchplay tables.
So all the theories about O’Sullivan not playing the masters/tour champs etc because he can only spend a certain number of days in the uk due to tax must be rubbish then….seeing as he’s played in the Virgo trophy, Seniors and now this 900 thing!
In response to the post above: “…in the UK, you are generally not liable to pay UK income tax on money earned abroad if you spend fewer than 183 days in the country within a single tax year. The UK tax year runs from April 6 to April 5 of the following year.”
I think this is very good entertaining snooker, fast and furious,each frame 15 minutes abit like snooker shootout.
I’d love to watch it but plutotv can’t be watched in Ireland. Even with a VPN.
Same in Belgium. Why is Pluto TV geo-blocking certain areas if there are no other ways to watch? Surely, that’s a Lose-Lose?