The leading global brokerage company has agreed to put its name to the event at Alexandra Palace, which begins on Sunday and runs through to January 22. China's Ding Junhui will be defending his title against the rest of the top 16 players in the world, including the likes of Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Selby.
The BGC Masters will be broadcast live on the BBC, Eurosport, CCTV5, GSC Shanghai and Now TV Hong Kong, with highlights available in Australia, India, Thailand, Malaysia and the Middle East. The BGC agreement comes in the same week that World Snooker furthered its presence in the Chinese market by announcing a third event in the shape of the Haikou World Open.
“It gives us great pleasure to bring in a new title sponsor for one of our biggest tournaments, especially one as prestigious as BGC Partners,” said World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn. “This is a huge step forward for our sport and demonstrates the growing appeal of snooker on a global scale. Snooker is on the rise and the momentum built by a tremendous UK Championship last month will be continued at the BGC Masters as we already have outstanding ticket sales.”
Shaun Lynn, president of BGC Partners, added: "The Masters is one of the most prestigious and well-recognised events in the snooker industry's calendar and BGC Partners is proud to be title sponsor for the first time this year. BGC prides itself on the excellence of the services our world-class brokers and state-of-the-art technology provide to clients around the globe. We are delighted to join with the world's top snooker players in presenting this championship event to snooker enthusiasts and sports fans worldwide.”
