It wasn't long ago that television in the UK comprised of just three channels. Of course, those older than me will remember there being two or even one – but for me growing up there were the three, until the launch of Channel 4 meant we had what seemed like a world of choice. This meant that when one of the channels was covering a major sporting event there was a good chance you'd watched it because there was probably nothing else on!

Things are very different now. A quick check of my cable box reveals that there are now 20 channels on offer that broadcast nothing but sport in one form or another. With the terrestrial channels still making sport a major part of their output, it means that the sports fan has a choice that is frankly bewildering at times and even the most dedicated enthusiast couldn't possibly watch the entire output.

With a greater degree of choice about what we watch we have lost something valuable though. Because we can choose to watch exactly what we know we like, we frequently miss out on discovering something completely new. I'm pretty sure that if I'd grown up today, I'd never have discovered snooker and learned to appreciate it because I would simply have changed the channel whenever it came on.

... you can hardly give a child a snooker cue and say "go play in the back garden with that!"

You could argue that the popularity of any sport is tied closely to its fortunes on TV, but snooker is almost totally reliant on it. It doesn't lend itself well to being a mass spectator sport because anyone sat further back than the front few rows would be too far away to comfortably watch the intricacies of the small balls moving around the table. It doesn't lend itself well to being a mass participation sport either, as the tables are too big and costly for most of us to have in our homes and you can hardly give a child a snooker cue and say "go play in the back garden with that!"

But, it is perfect for television coverage. The table fits comfortably on to the screen and a single camera is all that is really needed. No other sport allows you to sit in your living room and see the entire playing area in the way that you can with a snooker table, and thus being able to really appreciate the way the game is played.

While a group of men in smart trousers, shirts and waistcoat hardly matches anyone's description of "an athlete", the skill they display is stunning. Potting a ball is hard enough for a novice player, but to do so and to use a variety of techniques and spins to make the white ball respond to their touch and go exactly where they want it to go is mind boggling.