City sinks £100m in its pockets thanks to hosting snooker event
THE WORLD Snooker Championship has boosted Sheffield’s economy by £100m since 1977, according to a study by Sheffield Hallam University.
The annual championship has been held at the Crucible Theatre for 40 years and generates around 40,000 spectator admissions each year.
The research commissioned by BBC Radio Sheffield found that spectators from outside Sheffield spend £1.8m in the city on accommodation, food and drink, shopping, local travel and other entertainment.
Spectator spending coupled with that of the players, the media, officials and the costs of running the championship is said to generate an annual economic impact of £2.6m.
The study was carried out by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre.
Richard Coleman, the centre’s principal researcher, said: “As we have demonstrated in our findings, the World Snooker Championship brings a significant annual boost to the Sheffield economy and has also been a great marketing vehicle for the city around the world; not least in economies such as Asia with whom the city is looking to forge links.”
The Crucible first hosted the event in 1977 when 16 players competing over 13 days for a top prize of £6,000.
This year, the event will take place over 17 days with competitors hoping for a chance of a top prize of £375,000.