Hearn: Snooker lacking characters
Sports promoter Barry Hearn insists snooker is not “down and out” but admits enigmatic world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is currently “carrying the sport on his own shoulders”.
O’Sullivan yesterday claimed the sport is “on a downward spiral”, aimed scathing criticism at its administrators, and insisted only someone with the business vision of 'X Factor' supremo Simon Cowell or Hearn could rescue it.
Hearn, who has revitalised darts and introduced the exciting, Twenty20 cricket-style Prizefighter tournament to boxing, insists the sport is not dead but admits there is a dearth of characters at the moment.
“Snooker still does decent business but it’s not as dramatic as it used to be,” he told BBC Radio Five.
“Basically, we had a diet of fantastic characters in the sport and without criticising the other players, Ronnie O’Sullivan is sort of carrying the sport on his own shoulders.
“He’s the biggest seller of snooker to most punters but he needs some competition, he needs some other characters out there that will highlight the advantages and the excitement of snooker.
“It still does decent business – it’s not down and out. But maybe that is the level it has to be at now because the market has changed, the climate has changed, the entertainment factor has changed and snooker just ticks over.”
As for O’Sullivan’s comments about Cowell, Hearn – who currently runs the successful Premier League Snooker competition – said: “I think Simon has done a fantastic job. Whether snooker is something he would want to be involved with I doubt very much but it’s a nice thought, he might bring something new to the game.”
