Ronnie O’Sullivan and Thomas the Tank Engine director launch snooker TV channel
Ronnie O’Sullivan has teamed up with a former director of Thomas the Tank Engine to launch the world’s first dedicated snooker TV channel.
Pluto Snooker 900, which launches next week, promises to show a combination of live action, classic matches and O’Sullivan’s coaching series, The Rocket Method.
It is the brainchild of Jason Francis, a former children’s theatre director who moved into snooker and now helps to manage the careers of O’Sullivan and women’s star Reanne Evans.
Pluto Snooker 900’s founders say it will inject £600,000 into the amateur game and give more women, young talent and disabled players exposure.
“Snooker has been my whole life, but sometimes I look around and wonder where the next bright, young superstar is going to come from,” said seven-time world champion O’Sullivan.
“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.”
How to watch Pluto Snooker 900
The free channel will be available to stream via Pluto TV, which is , from Monday 6 October.
The Snooker 900 format is the game’s answer to T20 cricket, with 15-minute frames – 900 seconds – and a shot-clock to keep up a quick pace.
It launches with a legends week featuring snooker greats including Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, John Parrott, Tony Drago, Joe Johnson and Tony Knowles.
“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,” said Francis.
“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.”