The World Snooker Tour (WST) organizing body has expanded its partnership with paint and coating manufacturer PPG through its Johnstone’s Paint brand, which becomes the primary sponsor of the annual Masters event.
Now known as the Johnstone’s Paint Masters, the brand gains title sponsorship rights for the next three years of the event, starting from the 2025 edition, which will run next year from January 12 to 19 in London, England.
Johnstone’s Paint is already the sponsor of the WST’s 2024 Players Championship and Tour Championship events courtesy of a tie-up agreed earlier in 2024.
Speaking on the deal, PPG marketing director for UK and Ireland Megan Esmond stated: “The Masters event provides an excellent platform to raise further awareness for our flagship brand.
“It drives engagement with our employees and customers as well as opening up doors to make a difference in the snooker community, through community engagement projects.”
Johnstone’s Paint takes over from online casino firm MrQ, which sponsored the 2024 Masters.
As one of snooker’s three 'Triple Crown' events, the Masters is among the most prominent fixtures in the touring sport’s yearly calendar, alongside the UK Championship and World Championship.
The 2023 Snooker UK Championship was also title sponsored by MrQ, and will be again in 2024 while the 2024 World Championship was covered by car dealership Cazoo, which previously sponsored the Masters in 2022 and 2023.
Cazoo had sponsored the World Championship since 2023, and also covered the UK Championship in 2021 and 2022, showcasing the depth of its relationship with the WST, but it is unlikely that the company will continue to cover the event in 2025 after entering administration last month.
With Cazoo exiting the sponsorship fold, the WST widening its partnership with Johnstone’s Paint will aid the tour in maintaining its commercial strength during a period of what its chief commercial officer Peter Wright calls “incredible progress” which has been driven by “television audience, live attendance and digital growth”.
