The future of the World Snooker Championship appears to be away from the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
The most prestigious event in snooker has been played at this venue since 1977 and has created a lot of memorable moments over the years.
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The current contract ends in 2027, and the negotiations aren't going well, with Sheffield City Council and World Snooker Limited at loggerheads.
So, unless a compromise can be reached, it appears the World Snooker Championship will be moving from The Crucible once the current deal runs out.
Is the World Snooker Championship leaving the Crucible?
Well, the simple answer is probably because Hearn wants a bigger venue.
The Crucible is great for spectators because they are close to the tables, and it feels intimate and creates a great atmosphere.
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However, it can only hold 980 people, which leads to tickets selling out instantly.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Hearn revealed his views on the future of the tournament.
He said: "Our contract runs out in 2027, and we said, 'if you love us, buy us a bunch of flowers, build me a new venue or extend the venue, so we can get a proper crowd in.'
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"It's not impossible to do anything with the existing building, but we've got to be looking at another building in Sheffield, which we can name The Crucible, but it needs to hold 2,500 to 3,000 seats to stand any chance of disregarding the offers we are getting from around the world.
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"We love the history that The Crucible's given us, but we have to live in the real world, which in all sports, comes down to money.
"I think we should make the first prize £2million, and every player that makes The Crucible should be on a minimum of £100,000.
"I am fed up with people telling me the moral view.
"If I don't give the players the most money that is out there, someone will replace me.
"But I don't think it will move, all I need is the council to come back to me with a plan.
"Sheffield City Council have got three years, and at the end of the day, we are in chequebook land, and sport globally is in that land whether we like it or not."
So, even if the World Snooker Championship remains in Sheffield, it's likely going to have to be a new venue because The Crucible, in Hearn's view, isn't big enough.
His comments follow some complaints from Hossein Vafaei, who slated the venue after his defeat to Judd Trump in the round of 32.
He said: “You walk everywhere around The Crucible and it smells really bad. As a player, I’m honest, it’s just really bad. Everything’s so bad.
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“If you ask me do I want to come back here again, I’ll tell you no way.
“The practice room, do you see anything special?
“I feel like I’m practicing in a garage. That’s not good. I’m coming from a different country to see that? It’s not good. I am sorry I have to tell the truth.”
Meanwhile, Australian player Neil Robertson also believes it's time to move on from The Crucible.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: "We have to move with the times, I don't think the championships should continue at The Crucible itself.
"I want a new Crucible built, which I think would be amazing, like the new era is beginning. We have to move on with the times and with sport, sport is always growing, and if you don't look to always take a sport forward then you're going backwards.
"Barry is absolutely right, none of the players want to leave Sheffield despite what some may say, but we need a new venue. The prize money would at least double instantly, Barry Hearn has said that."
Where else could it go?
The ideal solution would be for the tournament to remain in Sheffield.
However, for that to happen, it seems a new venue has to be built.
This is possible, but the council would have to weigh up many things before deciding to press on with a new Crucible.
Another option is for the tournament to move permanently elsewhere, with Saudi Arabia and China contenders.
Certainly, the Saudis would provide more prize money for the players, but the tournament would lose some of its magic, while British-based fans would be frozen out.
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One more option that Hearn discussed was taking the World Snooker Championship to a different venue each year.
This would mean The Crucible would stay as it is, but it wouldn't host the event every year.