Masters snooker 2025: Match schedule, BBC coverage, tournament history and prize money
The Masters is an invitational event for the world’s top 16 players
The Masters – the second of the season’s Triple Crown events – gets under way on Sunday at Alexandra Palace with a blockbuster match between great rivals Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins.
Defending champion O’Sullivan, 49, is aiming to win a record-extending ninth Masters title, having won his first aged 19 in 1995 when he beat Higgins in the final.
Higgins, also 49, won the second of his two Masters titles against O’Sullivan in 2006, avenging his defeat by the ‘Rocket’ in the 2005 final.
O’Sullivan beat Ali Carter 10-7 in last year’s final and as reigning champion is the top seed, while Kyren Wilson is seeded second as the world champion.
Three-time Masters winner Mark Selby and two-time champion Mark Williams are in action on Monday, with Selby facing Carter and Williams playing 2011 winner Ding Junhui.
World number one Judd Trump opens his campaign against Barry Hawkins – the player he beat in the final of the UK Championship in December – on Tuesday.
Wilson starts his bid for a first Masters title against Zhang Anda on Wednesday.
Ding and Mark Allen both made 147 breaks in 2024 – only the fourth and fifth Masters maximums since the first tournament in 1975.
The World Championship is the third Triple Crown event and starts in April.
O’Sullivan completes comeback to win eighth Masters title
BBC coverage of the 51st Masters
There is live action from every round on BBC TV and you can watch uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app, with additional coverage on BBC Red Button.
You can also follow updates through the live pages on the BBC Sport website and mobile app.
Recent Masters winners
2024: Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Ali Carter 10-7
2023: Judd Trump beat Mark Williams 10-8
2022: Neil Robertson beat Barry Hawkins 10-4
2021: Yan Bingtao beat John Higgins 10-8
2020: Stuart Bingham beat Ali Carter 10-8
2019: Judd Trump beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-4
2018: Mark Allen beat Kyren Wilson 10-7
2017: Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Joe Perry 10-7
2016: Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins 10-1
The tournament trophy was renamed the Paul Hunter Trophy in 2017 as a tribute to the three-time Masters champion, who died aged 27 in 2006.
Masters format
The Masters, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, is an invitational tournament for the 16 highest-ranked players at the end of the UK Championship.
All matches are the best of 11 frames, except for the final on 19 January which is played over the best of 19 frames and two sessions.
There is only one match per session and a maximum of two matches per day.
Alexandra Palace in north London has a capacity of 2,217 seats for the duration of the tournament.
Prize money
Winner: £350,000
Runner-up: £140,000
Semi-finals: £75,000
Quarter-finals: £40,000
Last 16: £25,000
High break: £15,000
Total: £1,015,000
Allen makes ‘magical’ 147 break at Masters
Match schedule and BBC coverage
All times are GMT. Coverage times are subject to late changes. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Seedings in brackets.
First round
Sunday, 12 January
13:00
Ronnie O’Sullivan (1) v John Higgins (15)
19:00
Shaun Murphy (8) v Gary Wilson (11)
Live coverage
13:00-17:15 – BBC Two
19:00-22:00 – BBC Four
Uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app
Masters Extra
00:40-02:40 on Monday – BBC Two
Monday, 13 January
13:00
Mark Williams (6) v Ding Junhui (9)
19:00
Mark Selby (4) v Ali Carter (12)
Live coverage
13:00-16:15 – BBC Two
19:00-22:00 – BBC Four
Uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app
Masters Extra
00:05-02:05 on Tuesday – BBC Two
Tuesday, 14 January
13:00
Judd Trump (3) v Barry Hawkins (13)
19:00
Mark Allen (5) v Si Jiahui (14)
Live coverage
13:00-16:15 – BBC Two
19:00-22:00 – BBC Four
Uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app
Masters Extra
00:05-02:05 on Wednesday – BBC Two
Wednesday, 15 January
13:00
Kyren Wilson (2) v Zhang Anda (10)
19:00
Luca Brecel (7) v Chris Wakelin (16)
Live coverage
13:00-16:15 – BBC Two
19:00-22:00 – BBC Four
Uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app
Masters Extra
00:05-02:05 on Thursday – BBC Two
Quarter-finals
Draw
O’Sullivan/Higgins v Murphy/Gary Wilson
Allen/Si v Selby/Carter
Trump/Hawkins v Williams/Ding
Brecel/Wakelin v Kyren Wilson/Zhang
Thursday, 16 January
13:00
Match TBC
19:00
Match TBC
Live coverage
13:00-16:15 – BBC Two
19:00-20:00 – BBC Two
20:00-22:00 – BBC Four
Uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app
Masters Extra
00:05-02:05 – BBC Two
Friday, 17 January
13:00
Match TBC
19:00
Match TBC
Live coverage
13:00-16:15 – BBC Two
19:00-20:00 – BBC Two
20:00-22:00 – BBC Four
Uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app
Masters Extra
00:55-02:55 on Saturday – BBC Two
Semi-finals
Saturday, 18 January
Sessions
13:00 and 19:00
Live coverage
13:15-16:30 – BBC One
19:00-22:00 – BBC Two
Masters Extra
00:00-02:00 on Sunday – BBC Two
Final
Sunday, 19 January
Sessions
13:00 and 19:00
Live coverage
13:00 & 19:00 – live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app
Watch Ding Junhui make history with the fourth 147 ever in The Masters
