The 2026 Northern Ireland Open snooker tournament kicks off on Monday, October 19, 2026, at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Running through October 25, the tournament features 128 players competing for a £550,000 prize pool, with live coverage broadcast on Eurosport 1 and available via online streaming platforms.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Prize Pool Stakes: The champion in Belfast will walk away with a £100,000 winner’s check, significantly shifting the season’s ranking points race.
- Home Nations Bonus: This event anchors the Home Nations Series alongside the English, Scottish, and Welsh Open tournaments, offering a massive £1 million bonus for any cueist sweeping all four events in a single calendar year.
- Defending Form: English player Jack Lisowski enters the broader narrative looking to replicate his previous title run at the venue against a stacked 128-player field.
Belfast Waterfront Hall Hosts the 128-Player Field
Action gets underway as 128 of the world’s best professional cueists descend upon the Waterfront Hall in Belfast for the opening round. Eurosport 1 provides extensive television coverage starting Monday, October 19, 2026, at 20.00 Uhr, with the opening broadcast scheduled for a four-hour window ending at midnight, as detailed by news.de.
𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 ⚪🔴Mateusz Baranowski zaprezentował moc polskiego snookera. Doceniany na świecie Gary Wilson wyeliminowany już w 1. rundzie #NorthernIrelandOpen, i to w imponującym stylu, zwłaszcza w sprytnie wytrzymanym końcowym fragmencie meczu ❗❗ pic.twitter.com/zCB1T65MQZ
— https://x.com/Eurosport_PL/status/2111886455366631725
For fans following the action away from the television set, the Eurosport 1 Mediathek delivers a simultaneous online livestream. Additionally, Joyn offers free streaming access to the Eurosport 1 feed via web browsers or mobile applications.
Broadcast Schedule and Replay Availability
Following the Monday evening opener, the tournament runs a dense sequence of sessions through the week, featuring multiple daily windows for early rounds, culminating in the quarter-finals on Friday, October 23, the semi-finals on Saturday, October 24, and the final on Sunday, October 25, and Monday, October 26, 2026. According to news.de schedules, no additional television repeats of the opening round are slated within the standard 14-day programming window.
Viewers who miss the live television windows can check the Eurosport 1 Mediathek for on-demand availability. Licensing agreements dictate how long individual match recordings remain online, with some broadcasts stored permanently and others restricted to temporary windows.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
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