The World Snooker Championship returns to the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, for the 50th time as 32 of the world's best players compete to be crowned the world champion. In this guide, we'll explain where to watch World Snooker Championship 2026 live streams, with information on free channels and platforms.
And there's great news for snooker fans in the UK, as every frame will be shown absolutely free thanks to the BBC and its iPlayer streaming website and app. Elsewhere, the entire tournament will be available on the dedicated WST Play platform, including in the US, Canada, and Australia.
This time 12 months ago, Zhao Xintong walked out of the Crucible having made history as the first ever player from China to win the World Championship. He was superb throughout, but really stamped his authority on things by destroying seven-time champ Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semis. After that, his comfortable final win over Mark Williams and a check to the sum of £500,000 (around $675,000) seemed a mere formality.
In order to go back-to-back, however, he'll have to defy the so-called 'Crucible Curse' — no first-time winner of the World Snooker Championship has been able to retain the title in the five decades that the tournament has been held at the venue. And there are plenty of worthy opponents waiting to stop him, such as John Higgins and in-form 2010 champion Neil Robertson. Not to mention the record 10 other Chinese entries, including Wu Yize, who has advanced to the quarterfinals.
Where to watch World Snooker Championship for free in the UK
As ever, the free-to-air BBC has extensive live coverage of the 2026 World Snooker Championship. In addition to televised action across its BBC One, Two, and Four channels, the broadcaster will show every single shot and pot on its free online BBC iPlayer platform and BBC Sport website. As well as smartphones and laptops, iPlayer is available to stream on pretty much every streaming device you can think of.
For an alternative commentary and analysis, UK snooker fans can also watch on TNT Sports — available with certain Sky, Virgin Media, and EE TV plans, or through an HBO Max subscription costing from $26 a month.
How to watch World Snooker Championship from anywhere
Watching the 2026 World Snooker Championship for free in the UK is easy. But try accessing BBC iPlayer when abroad and you'll discover that you can't due to geo-blocking. Thankfully, you can get around this annoyance with a VPN (or virtual private network), which will let you set your smartphone, laptop, or streaming device so that it thinks it's back in the UK.
NordVPN is currently the very best VPN you can get. It offers rapid server speeds, an easy-to-use interface, and is superb at unblocking your domestic services when traveling overseas. You can discover more in our dedicated NordVPN review or, if you're ready to sign up now, take advantage of the fact that you can cancel within the first 30 days and get a full refund thanks to the provider's money-back guarantee.
Where to watch World Snooker Championship in the US
Unlike in the UK, you have to pay to watch this tournament in the US. It is being shown on the dedicated WST Play streaming platform. Prices are in GBP, with the monthly pass costing £7. That means you can watch every match of the 2026 World Snooker Championship for less than $10.
Where to watch World Snooker Championship in Canada
Just like south of the border, there are no domestic options for watching the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Canada. That means you'll need to subscribe to WST Play. The £7 a month fee works out to around CA$13.
Where to watch World Snooker Championship in Australia
In Australia, you can watch every break, pot, and miss on WST Play. It costs £7 a month, so that's around AU$13.
World Snooker Championship Schedule
What is the prize money for the World Snooker Championship in 2026?
The total prize fund for the 2026 World Snooker Championship is £2.395 million — around $3.2 million. The overall winner will receive £500,000 (approximately $675,000), with the losing finalist having to console themselves with £200,000 (approximately $270,000).
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 Snooker World Championship?
Reigning champion Zhao Xintong is the bookies' favorite to win the 2026 Snooker World Championship, having already won the Tour Championship, Players Championship, and World Grand Prix this year. World No. 1 Judd Trump was widely seen as the player most likely to challenge him, although he was eliminated prior to the quarterfinals.
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