Reports suggest that Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) may be looking for a new home as Barry Hearn calls for Sky to “up the ante”.
According to The Telegraph, PDC Chairman Barry Hearn is open to considering other broadcast deals as Sky’s seven-year contract approaches its expiration next year. Sky currently pays around £12m annually for the rights, which include 60 days of live darts coverage each year, including the World Championship.
However, with the contract nearing its expiration, Hearn has reportedly valued the contract at £45m. This represents a significant increase, as Sky is believed to be offering £25m – more than double its current payment.
Darts has long been a popular sport in the UK, maintaining a loyal following throughout the year but truly taking centre stage during the festive season with the PDC World Darts Championship.
Last year, 16-year-old Luke Littler from Warrington captured attention as he reached the competition final, ultimately losing to Luke Humphries. The final drew a peak audience of 3.7 million viewers, marking a 150% increase compared to the previous year’s showdown between Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen.
This made it Sky’s highest-rated non-football event, surpassing the viewership of most Premier League matches on the network, except for major fixtures featuring Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal.
While there were concerns about whether darts could maintain this level of success into the new season, viewership hasn’t significantly declined, and the true test – the PDC World Darts Championship – is fast approaching.
In September, discussing his relationship with Sky and the upcoming deal, Hearn stated: “We owe Sky a massive, massive debt. They stuck with us in the early days, and loyalty is a big part of our business.
“But I also have a responsibility to the players to maximise their earnings. There are going to be some interesting conversations. Compare us to other sports. Show me what you pay for rugby union, league, golf, and tell me why I don’t get the same or more. I really hope Sky raises the ante.”
Despite this sense of loyalty, Sky already pays significant amounts for other sports, including its £1.2bn annual deal with the Premier League and may be priced out of a renewal.
Enter Netflix and Amazon Prime, which are now eyeing up the opportunity.
Amazon Prime has some experience in broadcasting live sports, most notably holding the rights to showcase a select amount of football matches. Netflix is a newcomer but has already made some big statements.
Recently, Netflix hosted the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, which proved successful, drawing 60 million households worldwide and peaking at 65 million concurrent streams, despite some buffering issues.
Additionally, the streaming platform has signed a 10-year contract with TKO to be the new home of WWE Raw and will be showcasing two NFL Christmas Day games later this year.
These deals signal that Netflix is making a move into the live sports industry and is willing to invest heavily to do so. Given Hearn’s existing relationship with the platform – he and his son Eddie are set to release a documentary about their lives – Netflix appears to be in a strong position to secure the deal.
