Shaun Murphy v Ronnie O’Sullivan live stream | Champion of Champions 2026 preview

Former champions Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O’Sullivan renew their rivalry in the 2026 Champion of Champions in Leicester on Wednesday.

A mouth-watering Group Three opener features a repeat of the 2017 final as Murphy and O’Sullivan collide at the Mattioli Arena.

Murphy triumphed 10-8 on that occasion to claim the crown in Coventry, before O’Sullivan recorded the third of his four Champion of Champions titles the following year.

However, the decorated duo enter their latest showdown at differing stages of their career, with Murphy still at the peak of his powers and O’Sullivan desperately battling to recapture his brilliant best form.

Murphy claimed the British Open title last season and reached a further three ranking finals, including the World Championship.

His best run so far this season saw him reach the semi-finals of the English Open, though he has also suffered a trio of first round exits in ranking competition.

Worryingly for Murphy, he has lost in the opening round in four of his last five Champion of Champions appearances.

O’Sullivan, meanwhile, has competed in only three ranking tournaments this season, as well as the Shanghai Masters, though he did enjoy a strong run to the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open in August.

World Seniors champion back in May, O’Sullivan is bidding to register his first win in this competition since lifting the trophy for the fourth time in 2022.

The 50-year-old, currently ranked world number 13, has been open about his struggles for consistency in recent months and will be keen to get off to a fast start over this sprint format.

The Rocket defeated Murphy 5-3 in their most recent encounter at the World Open in March and has dominated the overall head-to-heads with 16 wins from their 21 previous meetings.

The match gets under way from 1pm GMT and will be contested over the best of seven frames, with either Wu Yize or Chang Bingyu awaiting the winner in the evening’s group final.

How to watch Shaun Murphy v Ronnie O’Sullivan live stream

18+ | Funded account required | Please Gamble Responsibly

1) Go to Bet365 via this special link

2) Register an account, place a £10 first bet and get £30 in Free Bets* (18+ only, T&Cs apply)

3) Once registered, go to the sports homepage and select ‘Snooker’ from the left-hand menu

4) Select the play icon next to the match in progress and the stream window will appear

*18+ only. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5-£10* (*or currency equivalent) to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required. GambleAware.org