UK bookmaker Betfred has renewed its title sponsorship agreement with the World Snooker Championship.
Betfred will continue to serve as title sponsor of the event until 2019. Its previous agreement was due to expire after the 2017 edition. As part of the deal, the event will continue to be officially titled the Betfred World Snooker Championship.
Betfred returned as title sponsor last year, having previously partnered the event between 2009 and 2012. Betfred became the fourth gaming company to take on the title sponsor role of the tournament since legislation regarding the advertising of tobacco products brought an end to cigarette brand Embassy’s long-running support of the event in 2005.
From 2006 until 2008, 888.com served as title sponsor before being replaced by Betfred.com. Betfair took on the designation for the 2013 competition while Dafabet was title sponsor of the 2014 tournament.
It was announced earlier this week that the event would continue to be staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England for at least the next 10 years after a deal was struck by World Snooker. The venue has staged the event since 1977.
This year’s World Snooker Championship concluded on Monday and was won by England’s Mark Selby.
Betfred co-founder Fred Done said: “We were well up for extending our sponsorship but the viewing figures (for the 2016 tournament) throughout the world, and particularly in China, certainly got it over the line.”