The World Snooker Tour has joined forces with Pink Lantern, a digital media firm that specialises within the Asian market.

It’s WST’s intention to develop snooker’s digital media presence all through Asia and develop the game’s reputation with followers.

This new partnership will concentrate on mainland China however can even attain into India, Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Pink Lantern is a worldwide chief within the digital media sphere, working with the Premier League, FIFA, F1, the PGA Tour, and plenty of different main sports activities properties.

They concentrate on rising relationships with followers by way of excellent focused content material and interplay.

WST’s Chief Advertising and Communications Officer Tom Rowell stated: “We have now constructed up a powerful fanbase in China, for instance on Weibo alone we’ve 1.4 million followers and 24 million video views final season.”

“Nonetheless, we recognise the necessity to take this to the following degree and to really exploit the recognition of snooker in China, notably as this yr we’re staging main tournaments there for the primary time since 2019.

“This new partnership with Pink Lantern will enable us to attain these targets by creating regionalised, multi-language content material, throughout a variety of social media platforms all through the Asia area.

“We have now been one of the profitable sports activities in China over the previous 20 years and we consider we will out-perform many different main sports activities within the digital sphere.

“Up to now, we’ve solely scratched the floor of what we will obtain. This may enhance the profile of snooker, to the advantage of all our companions, gamers, and followers.

“And we count on to see comparable progress by way of focused content material in Thailand, India, Singapore, and Hong Kong, the place we all know there may be huge potential.

“We’re thrilled to start out this journey with Pink Lantern and to push our boundaries a lot additional.”

Lewis Hannam, founding father of Pink Lantern, stated: “We’re delighted to enter into this revolutionary partnership with WST.”

“We have now all the time felt snooker is without doubt one of the nice sporting success tales in China and we stay up for serving to WST construct and perceive their viewers in China and Asia a lot additional.”

“We will probably be creating related content material on related platforms to underpin progress amongst the following era of followers.

“We’re excited to unlock its potential and see the place it could actually take WST.”

The Shanghai Masters in September would be the first World Snooker Tour occasion in China in nearly 4 years on account of the pandemic.

Ronnie O’Sullivan final triumphed on the prestigious invitational event with an 11-9 victory over Shaun Murphy within the 2019 closing.

Two weeks later, Murphy prevailed on the China Championship in Guangzhou due to a 10-9 defeat of Mark Williams.

Judd Trump additionally secured a brace of titles within the nation throughout that 2019/20 snooker season, first on the Worldwide Championship earlier than then repeating the trick on the World Open – the newest event staged in mainland China.

Along with the Shanghai Masters, the inaugural Wuhan Open and the returning Worldwide Championship are on this season’s schedule to date.

Featured photograph credit score: WST