The 2026 World Snooker Championship live broadcasts represent the end of the 2025/26 snooker season and the world’s best players will once again descend on the iconic Crucible Theater in Sheffield to win the biggest prize on the mat.
Chief among those hoping the curse lives up to their hype will be Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan. Trump, the 2019 winner, has been consistent all season, while the Rocket are seeking a record eighth world title to surpass the great Stephen Hendry, but has only played occasionally all season.
Members of Class 92 with O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams will also look to go deeper. If the latter wins his first round match, he will face O’Sullivan in the round of 16. Williams’ fellow Welshman Matthew Stevens, a former runner-up, has qualified.
This will be the BBC’s first tournament since the death of legendary commentator John Virgo, so expect plenty of praise and questions like “where does the cue ball go?”
Crazy snooker, we’re crazy: here’s where to play watch snooker live streams from the 2026 World Championship online from anywhere.
Can I watch the 2026 World Snooker Championship for free?
Yeah. The BBC is offering comprehensive live coverage of the 2026 World Snooker Championships in the UK, with live action shared between BBC One, Two and Four channels, plus the BBC Sport website.
That means you’ll be able to watch live online pool and catch up on the BBC iPlayer Streaming service: Completely free to watch on laptops, mobile devices and TV streaming devices for anyone with a valid TV license.
If you’re outside the UK when the game is on, remember you can use a VPN to access the stream as if you were at home. More on that below.
Use a VPN to watch any World Snooker Championship 2026 broadcast
How to watch the 2026 World Snooker Championship broadcasts in the USA
Pool fans in the US will need a subscription to Play WST to watch the 2026 World Snooker Championship.
It costs £7 per month or £70 per year, which is roughly equivalent to between 9.50 and 95 US dollars.
If you’re traveling to the United States but want to watch World Pool Championship coverage at home, you’ll need to download a VPN.
How to watch live streams of the 2026 World Snooker Championship in the UK
The 2025 UK Championship snooker live streams will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer and TNT Sports in the UK.
As we have already mentioned, BBC iPlayer and the state broadcaster’s television channels offer a free service, but there is also a paid option. If you’d prefer Jimmy White and Alan McManus to provide the analysis rather than Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Dennis Taylor on the Beeb, then you’re in luck as the former pairing are part of TNT Sports’ enhanced coverage.
The subscriptions can be accessed by adding the Sports package to your EE, BT or Sky broadband deal which costs £16 per month. Or for streaming on the go, fans can pay from £25.99 a month for maximum HBOwhich includes TNT Sports.
Are you traveling outside the UK today? Use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer or HBO Max from abroad while you’re away from home.
How to watch live streams of the 2026 World Snooker Championships in Australia
In Australia, snooker fans will need a subscription to Play WST to watch the 2026 World Snooker Championship.
It costs £7 per month or £70 per year, which is roughly equivalent to AU$13.30 and AU$132.88.
If you’re traveling away from home but want to watch the usual world championships snooker coverage, you’ll need to download a VPN.
How to watch live streams of the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Canada
It’s a similar situation in Canada, where pool fans will need a subscription to Play WST to be able to watch the 2026 world championship.
It costs £7 per month or £70 per year, which is approximately CAN$13 and CAN$130.
If you’re traveling away from home but want to watch your regular pool coverage, you’ll need to download a VPN.
How to watch live streams of the 2026 World Snooker Championship in the rest of the world
Click to watch RoW streams ▼
If you’re in China, it looks like you can stream the 2026 World Snooker Championship for free on WeChat. Here’s a full rundown of where to watch the action around the world…
Porcelain
CCTV5
Huya.com
migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel
CBSA-WPBSA Douyin Academy
Hong Kong China
now television
Malaysia and Brunei
Astro Supersport
Taiwan
sports broadcast
Thailand
real sport
Philippines
TOUCH Sports
continental Europe
maximum HBO
All other territories
Subscribe to WST Play for live streams and on-demand replays of the latest UK Championship matches.
World Snooker Championship 2026: what you need to know
What is the format of the 2026 World Snooker Championship?
After four qualifying rounds, the 16 qualifiers and the 16 seeds will meet in the round of 16 in the best of 19 draws. That’s the first one to arrive at 10.
After that, the round of 16 and quarterfinals are best of 25 frames (first to 13), the semifinals are best of 33 (first to 17), and the final is best of 35 (first to 18).
What is the 2026 World Championship billiards schedule?
Saturday April 18 to Thursday April 23 – Last 32
Friday, April 24 to Monday, April 27 – Last 16
Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29 – Quarterfinals
Thursday, April 30 to Saturday, May 2 – Semifinals
Sunday, May 3 and Monday, May 4 – End
Who are the seeds for the 2026 World Snooker Championship?
1. Zhao Xintong (CHI)
2. Judd Trump (ESP)
3. Kyren Wilson (ESP)
4. Neil Robertson (AUS)
5. John Higgins (SCO)
6. Mark Williams (WAL)
7. Mark Selby (ENG)
8. Shaun Murphy (ESP)
9. Xiao Guodong (CHI)
10. Wu Yize (CHI)
11. Barry Hawkins (ESP)
12. Ronnie O’Sullivan (ESP)
13. Chris Wakelin (ESP)
14. Mark Allen (NIR)
15. Si Jiahui (CHI)
16. Ding Junhui (CHI)
Who are the recent world billiards champions?
2025: Zhao Xintong
2024: Kyren Wilson
2023: Luca Brecel
2022: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2021: Mark Selby
2020: Ronnie O’Sullivan
2019: Judd Trump
2018: Mark Williams
2017: Mark Selby
2016: Mark Selby
2015: Stuart Bingham
What is the prize money for the 2026 World Snooker Championship?
Winner: £500,000
Runner-up: £200,000
Semifinalist: £100,000
Quarterfinalist: £50,000
Last 16: £30,000
Last 32: £20,000
High rest: £15,000
Total: £2,395,000
Can I watch the 2026 World Championship snooker on my mobile?
Yes, the broadcasters mentioned in this article have streaming services that you can access via mobile apps or through your phone’s browser, so it’s BBC iPlayer in the UK and (usually) WST Play globally.
You can also stay up to date with all the action via the official World Snooker Tour (WST) social media channels: @worldsnookertour on Instagram, @WeAreWST on X, the WST Facebook page and the WST TikTok channel.
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