Barry Hearn has suggested the World Snooker Championship will move away from the Crucible unless the tournament is treated with more “respect”.
The long-time Sheffield home of the sport’s biggest event has a contract for the next two years but the future beyond 2027 appears uncertain.
Matchroom Sport president Hearn has a meeting with Sheffield City Council to discuss the issue next week, as he stated that the 980-seat theatre is no longer an appropriate venue.
Asked on 5 Live Breakfast whether Sheffield could keep the World Championship without an extension to the Crucible capacity or a new venue, Hearn said: "No. It's black and white: we love the Crucible, we love Sheffield, but the Crucible and Sheffield have got to love us.
"We want to stay but the financials have to be taken into consideration. The facilities where the Crucible is are no longer fit for purpose, that's the key issue."
Hearn has called for an expansion to crowd sizes in order to provide increased prize money for players.
It is a comparable situation to what has been seen in darts, a sport in which Matchroom also have a significant presence. Prize money for the World Darts Championship has been raised and the winner will now receive £1m, double that of snooker’s world champion.
Hearn similarly spoke of the need for darts to be respected before signing a huge new contract with Sky Sports, and he has now put that pressure on Sheffield and the Crucible.
"The Crucible's been a big part of my life and a big part of snooker's life," Hearn said.
“But it has to move with the times and someone, whether it's government or Sheffield, have to come up with a way of showing us that they're going to treat us with respect and give us the type of facilities we require.
"It's as simple as that. It's not complicated."
