Billiard’s Digest recently released their interview article with Emily Frazer of Matchroom, and I’d like to share some thoughts on what I’ve read:

Firstly, it’s interesting to note that there is no money guarantee in the WNT contracts.

It raises questions about how players might need to trust Matchroom to prioritize their events over others for long-term benefits. Given Matchroom’s track record, there’s a potential for this to be true. However, when looking at the WNT money rankings, players ranked 80 to 120 are currently only earning in five digits. This naturally leads to the question of how these players can effectively fund their campaigns. That brings us to the next point…

Emily Frazer highlights the main advantage of being on a Matchroom event – increased visibility for the players, potentially leading to a higher social media presence and new sponsor contracts.

While I’m not a pro player and lack insight into sponsorship contracts, it appears that this benefit may be more prominent for top-tier players. Although average pool players do secure sponsorships, a reliance solely on sponsor money to fund their pro tour campaign raises the question of whether it would be sufficient. In such a case, players might need to explore additional avenues, such as joining other WPA-sanctioned events or seeking opportunities with organizers that don’t coincide with Matchroom majors. Do you see the potential challenge here?

Partner WNT events now require a minimum of $15,000 with a minimum $5,000 added.

Take the 2023 Universal Chinese Taipei Open as an example, with a total prize fund of $15,460. The champion brought home $5,000. Realistically, the additional $5,000 will likely benefit only the champion and the runner-up, but it’s still a welcome change from the players’ perspective, I suppose.

Regarding the dearth of Filipino players signed to WNT.

Now, regarding the Filipino players, as of today, the only one who has signed the WNT contract is Michael Feliciano. There’s a possibility that part of the Marboys stable will join him. However, Emily’s response to this question suggests that many Filipino players may not have made the decision to sign the contract, which aligns to the possibility we discussed in one of our posts on our Facebook page a few weeks back. Some fans speculated that Matchroom might be keeping the signing announcement for PH players as a surprise, but it seems there’s no secret to keep in the first place.

Matchroom’s Development School

Another part of the interview discusses a Development School. Drawing a parallel to basketball terms, it’s akin to the NBA having its G League to develop players and prepare them for a potential NBA career—that, I think, is what the Development School, or Q school as referred to in the article, is all about.

These, I believe, were the main points that caught my attention. For further details, you can read directly on Billiards Digest’s page.