William Hill New Sponsor of Snooker Championship

William Hill, which is already one of the best known land and online betting and gambling brands in the UK, has extended its reach even further now that it has become the official sponsor of the prestigious UK Championship snooker tournament.

According to news reports, William Hill recently signed a deal with the World Snooker Association that will see it become the new sponsor of the premier snooker event that has been contested each year since it was launched in 1977 in the UK seaside resort of Blackpool.

The UK Championship is widely considered as the second most important snooker tournament after the World Championship, and as such is one of snooker's 'triple crown' events along with the Masters and the World Championship.

Said William Hill Chief Marketing Officer, Kristof Fahy, 'The UK Championship is one of the crown jewels in the world of snooker and we're delighted to put our name to such a prestigious event. William Hill is a worldwide brand and our sponsorship of the UK Championship gives us the opportunity to promote our online and mobile betting products to a global audience.'

2011 WilliamHill.com UK Championship Started This Week

The 2011 WilliamHill.com UK Championship kicked off on Monday this week at the Barbican Centre in York, with 32 of the best snooker players in the world including current world no 1 Mark Selby, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ding Junhui and, of course, defending champ John Higgins.

Other entrants in the 2011 WilliamHill.com UK Championship include such past and present snooker stalwarts as Steve Davis, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Graeme Dott, Mark Williams, Graeme Dott and Judd Trump.

Said World Snooker Association Chairman Barry Hearn, 'We're delighted to welcome William Hill as the new title sponsor of the UK Championship. Having worked with its team at the Grand Slam of Darts, I know it is a fantastic company so it's fitting that it is sponsoring one of snooker's biggest tournaments.

'The UK Championship is one of the highlights of the snooker calendar and receives outstanding exposure through coverage on the BBC and across the world providing exceptional brand exposure for the sponsor to hundreds of millions of fans globally,' he said.

William Hill currently has Ronny O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and John Higgins as the betting favorites.