Last week’s Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship saw a massive increase in viewing figures on ITV4, compared to 2023.
The tournament in Manchester was contested by 12 of the world’s leading players, and was won by Mark Williams who beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-5 in a tremendous final which featured five century breaks.
The average audience across the event was 58% up on last year’s figures, while the peak audience of 874,000 for the evening session of the final was 83% higher than the 2023 peak. A total of 3.35 million individuals were reached throughout the event.
The cumulative audience for the week was also well up, by 69%. The audience share during the final was 5.5% for the afternoon session and 4.5% for the evening session.
The tournament was staged at Manchester Central for the first time and the arena was packed throughout the week, with 8,400 tickets sold, compared to 3,400 in 2023.
WST’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Tom Rowell said: “It was an incredible week in Manchester, as always the top players delivered with a sensational standard of play and drama on the baize. The performance of Mark Williams to win the final from 5-3 down was astonishing.
“The ITV viewing figures are superb and we are delighted to continue the consistent trend of growing audiences throughout the season, particularly with our biggest event, the Cazoo World Championship, still to come.
“Manchester proved a fabulous location with nothing but praise for the venue from players and fans. Our thanks go to the fans who created such a great atmosphere, and we are already looking forward to returning to Manchester Central in 2025, with tickets on sale and selling fast.”