UK Snooker Championship 2025 live streams: How to watch tournament for FREE, TV channels, preview, seeds

Snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan takes a shot, with red, yellow, green, brown and blue balls visible
(Image credit: Getty Images / Tai Chengzhe / VCG)

The 2025 UK Championship live streams represent the first Triple Crown event of the 2025/26 snooker season and the best of the baize will be on display at the Barbican in York for an early Christmas treat.

Judd Trump may be yet to win a tournament this season, but the world number one is nevertheless among the favorites. The defending champion has a new cue – or, more accurately, his old cue before last if rumors are to be believed – and is seeking a sixth major of his career.

Snooker names don't come bigger than Ronnie O'Sullivan. The eight-time champion returns to the UK for the first time since relocating to Dubai earlier this year and will turn 50 midway through the tournament on December 5. He's in the same half of the draw as world champion Zhao Xintong and third seed Kyren Wilson, which may make life difficult for the Rocket who doesn't play many tournaments these days, despite his outrageous talent.

Fellow Class of 92 graduates Mark Williams and John Higgins are still going strong, too. The Welshman picked up the title at theh Xi'an Grand Prix last month, while the Scot has a final to his name this season. Both are holders of the Triple Crown, having won the UK, Masters and world crowns.

Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson are also part of that illustrious club and each have a tournament win in their back pockets this season, while Mark Allen is also a winner on tour this term.

Over the course of the past week, 128 players have been whittled down to just 16 in qualifying. Arguably the best story of the lot was Scott Donaldson coming from 5-0 down to beat former world champion Stuart Bingham 6-5. Stephen Maguire, who started the season impressively back in July with a win at the Championship League, also made it through to the last 32 and the in-form 2004 champion will take some beating.

Here's where to watch 2025 UK Championship snooker live streams online from anywhere.

Can I watch 2025 UK Championship snooker for free?

Yes. The BBC is hosting comprehensive live coverage of the 2025 UK Championship snooker in the UK, with live action shared between the BBC One, Two and Four channels, plus the BBC Sport website.

That means you'll be able to watch the snooker online live and on catch up on the BBC iPlayer streaming service – completely free to watch on laptops, mobile and TV streaming devices for anybody with a valid TV license.

If you're away from the UK when the game is on, remember you can use a VPN to access the stream as if you were back home. More on that below.

Use a VPN to watch any 2025 UK Championship stream

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How to watch 2025 UK Championship streams in the US

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Snooker fans in the US will need a subscription to WST Play in order to watch the UK Championship 2025.

It costs £7 per month or £70 per year, which is roughly US$8.50 and US$85.

If you're traveling in the States but wanting to watch your home UK Championship coverage, you'll need to download a VPN.

How to watch UK Championship 2025 live streams in the UK

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(Image credit: Future)

The 2025 UK Championship snooker live streams will be shown by BBC iPlayer and TNT Sports in the UK.

As we've already mentioned, BBC iPlayer and the state broadcaster's TV channels offer a free service, but there's a paid option, too. If you prefer Jimmy White and Alan McManus providing the analysis over John Virgo and Dennis Taylor on the Beeb, then you're in luck as the former pair are part of the enhanced TNT Sports coverage.

You can get access by adding TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or pay from £30.99 per month for a Discovery+ plan that includes the sports channels.

Traveling away from the UK today? Use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer or Discovery+ from abroad while you're away from home.

How to watch 2025 UK Championship live streams in Australia

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In Australia, snooker fans will need a subscription to WST Play in order to watch the UK Championship 2025.

It costs £7 per month or £70 per year, which is roughly AU$14.20 and AU$141.90.

If you're traveling away from home but wanting to watch your regular UK Championship coverage, you'll need to download a VPN.

How to watch 2025 UK Championship live streams in Canada

Canada

(Image credit: Other)

It's a similar situation in Canada, where snooker fans will need a subscription to WST Play in order to watch the UK Championship 2025.

It costs £7 per month or £70 per year, which is roughly CAN$13 and CAN$130.

If you're traveling away from home but wanting to watch your regular UK Championship coverage, you'll need to download a VPN.

How to watch 2025 UK Championship snooker live streams in Rest of World

2025 UK Championship snooker — Need to Know

What is the UK Championship 2025 snooker format?

After four rounds of qualifying, the 16 qualifiers and 16 seeds will meet in the last 32 over the best of 11 frames. That's first to six.

Each round will be over the best of 11 frames until the final, which will be played over two sessions comprizing up to 19 frames. That's first to 10.

What is the UK Championship 2025 snooker schedule?

Saturday, November 29 to Tuesday, December 2 - Last 32

Wednesday, December 3 to Thursday, December 4 - Last 16

Friday, December 5 - Quarterfinals

Saturday, December 6 - Semifinals

Sunday, December 7 - Final

Who are the 2025 UK Championship snooker seeds?

1. Judd Trump (ENG)

2. Zhao Xintong (CHI)

3. Kyren Wilson (ENG)

4. Neil Robertson (AUS)

5. Mark Williams (WAL)

6. Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)

7. John Higgins (SCO)

8. Mark Allen (NIR)

9. Ding Junhui (CHI)

10. Shaun Murphy (ENG)

11. Mark Selby (ENG)

12. Xiao Guodong (CHI)

13. Wu Yize (CHI)

14. Barry Hawkins (ENG)

15. Gary Wilson (ENG)

16. Si Jiahui (CHI)

Who are the recent UK Championship snooker champions?

2024: Judd Trump

2023: Ronnie O'Sullivan

2022: Mark Allen

2021: Zhao Xintong

2020: Neil Robertson

2019: Ding Junhui

2018: Ronnie O'Sullivan

2017: Ronnie O'Sullivan

2016: Mark Selby

2015: Neil Robertson

What is the UK Championship 2025 prize money?

Winner: £250,000

Runner-up: £100,000

Semi-finalist: £50,000 

Quarter-finalist: £25,000

Last 16: £15,000 

Last 32: £10,000

Last 48: £7,500

Last 80: £5,000

Last 112: £2,500

High Break: £15,000

Total: £1,205,000

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Andy Murray
Freelance Writer and Editor

Andy Murray is an award-winning writer and columnist, voted the Consumer Journalist of the Year at the 2015 PPA New Talent Awards. A fluent Spanish speaker and former semi-professional footballer, he was senior staff writer of world-leading football magazine FourFourTwo from 2012 to 2019 and continues to write and edit for them, national newspapers, websites, the Olympic Games and Premier League clubs.

An avid music lover since an existential introduction to The Bends by Radiohead aged 10, he has been a Glastonbury regular for decades and always lends an ear to the latest tech. For the past three years, he has tested products, subedited reviews and delved deep into the minutiae of VPNs for TechRadar.

He is not a famous tennis player.

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