The World Snooker Championship returns to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield this weekend as reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan begins his defence of his title. The world's best players are already to cueing up, and the good news is that UK fans can see every pot, miss and break free on the BBC iPlayer website. Make sure you know how to watch a World Snooker Championship live stream from anywhere in the world.
Date: Saturday 17th April – Monday 3rd May 2021
Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England
UK stream: BBC iPlayer (FREE)
Watch anywhere: ExpressVPN
Canada stream: DAZN (Free trial)
US stream: DAZN ($20)
The world's best exponents of snooker have already arrived in Sheffield for the 2021 World Snooker Championship. The first round will be played in a one-third full arena but the hope is that the final will be played before a packed crowd (all vaccinated, of course).
The action starts on Saturday 17th April at 10am and will be live across the BBC iPlayer and BBC sport websites, with coverage on the free-to-air TV channel BBC Two.
Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will face debutant Mark Joyce in the opening match of round one. The six-times World Champion, who has overcome everything from broken tips to food poisoning during previous stints in Sheffield, says he's "hungry" for a seventh world title.
World number one Judd Trump takes on Liam Highfield and UK champion Neil Robertson clashes with China's Liang Wenbo. Masters champ Yan Bingtao faces veteran potter Martin Gould while John Higgins will have to get past mid-ranking Chinese player Tian Pengfei if he wants to make it to the second round and go for a fifth world title.
Read on to find out how to watch a 2021 World Snooker Championship live stream from anywhere in the world.
Watch a 2021 World Snooker Championship live stream for free
The BBC has the rights to air the 2021 World Snooker Championship in the UK and it's worth remembering that you can enjoy the coverage for free from abroad, too, as a UK national using a VPN.
Every pot, break, cannon, in-off and miss-cue will be available on UK TVs using the Red Button or through the BBC iPlayer app which you can view on a smart TV, tablet, smartphone or through your browser.
You can also watch a 2021 World Snooker Championship live stream on the BBC Sport website using any smart device.
Watch a the World Snooker Championship abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant World Snooker Championship rights holders, you won't be able to use them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
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Europe: World Snooker Championship live stream 2021
Eurosport holds the rights to stream 2021 World Snooker Championship across Europe. You can watch the coverage for a relatively low monthly subscription fee through the Eurosport Player.
Don't forget, of course, that if you're a UK or Republic of Ireland national, it's cheapest to access the free live stream on the BBC instead, by using a VPN.
USA and Canada: World Snooker Championship live stream 2021
The rights to stream the 2021 World Snooker Championship in both the USA and Canada belong to DAZN. The fast-growing streaming service is available online and through the DAZN app.
Snooker fans in Canada can take advantage of DAZN free trial, but those in the US will need to subscribe right off the bat ($19.99 a month / $99.99 a year).
Don't forget, of course, that if you're a UK or Republic of Ireland national, it's cheapest to access the free live stream on the BBC instead, by using a VPN.
China: World Snooker Championship live stream 2021
China-based snooker fans can catch home favourites Ding Junhui and Yan Bingtao on CCTV. The state-owned broadcaster has the rights to most snooker tournaments, including the 2021 World Snooker Championships, The Masters and the China Open.
World Snooker Championship 2021 full schedule
All times in UK / BST
ROUND ONE – Saturday 17th April
Morning session (From 10am)
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Joyce
Yan Bingtao v Martin Gould
Afternoon session (From 2:30pm)
Stephen Maguire v Jamie Jones
Neil Robertson v Liang Wenbo
Evening session (From 7pm)
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Joyce
David Gilbert v Chris Wakelin
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