The World Darts Championship (WDC) will remain on Sky Sports until 2030 after the Professional Data Corporation (PDC) renewed its arrangement with the broadcaster.
Sky detailed that the extended deal will cover not just the WDC but also the Premier League of Darts, the World Matchplay, the Grand Slam of Darts, the World Grand Prix and the World Cup of Darts. All tournaments will be broadcast by the outlet until 2030.
Reports first emerged that Sky had extended its deal with the WDC shortly after the latest edition of the tournament wound up. The deal, reportedly worth hundreds of millions, is likely a no-brainer to Sky due to the sport’s skyrocketing popularity in the UK.
The past two editions of the WDC have been ratings blockbusters, particularly driven by the impact of teenage sensation Luke Littler, who has amassed a large global following.
The marketing around the tournament has also been successful, while its scheduling during December and January has made it the premier event of the festive period for UK audiences.
PDC Chief Executive, Matt Porter, said: “Sky Sports has been by our side for over 30 years and we’re excited to extend our partnership for the next five years as we experience a surge in growth globally.
“We’ve gone from strength to strength in recent years as a sport, and the record viewing figures and sustained interest achieved by Sky over the past year are a reflection of the unprecedented popularity of PDC events at present.
“We’re determined to continue this growth in the coming years and it’s hugely important for us to have Sky working with us to help deliver more exciting tournaments for players, fans and viewers.”
Sky has been the PDC’s main UK broadcasting partner for the past 40 years and is showing no sign of letting go of one of its flagship media properties. With darts having exploded to the forefront of UK sports, the WDC is a solid viewer magnet.
The latest figures for the 2024/25 WDC, won by Littler against Michael Van Gerwen (a legend of the sport in his own right), show a 29% increase in viewership, while the Sky Sports Darts YouTube Channel saw a total of 8.2 million views.
This is already impressive given the 2023/24 tournament gained a record audience of over 4.8 million with a peak audience of 3.71 million. This was the highest ever peak audience for a non-football event on Sky.
“The incredible growth in darts viewership on Sky Sports over the last 12 months shows just how much the nation loves this sport,” said Jonathan Licht, Managing Director of Sky Sports.
“The extraordinary story of last year’s World Championship helped to welcome new younger audiences to the sport and brought increased excitement for fans.
“Following another successful tournament, there seems no better time to extend our longstanding partnership with the PDC to remain the home of this uniquely brilliant sport.
“We’re excited to keep innovating to tell the stories and bring fans closer to the action through our unrivalled coverage of the biggest darts tournaments for the next five years.”
The growing popularity of darts has also translated into commercial success via other avenues for the PDC. Rising audiences have seen the sport become a magnet for marketing activity.
Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaker owned by international group Flutter Entertainment, is one of the most notable partners of the WDC and gained a lot of attention for its ‘Big 180’ charity campaign. Other notable partners include beer brewer Foster’s, Village Hotels, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey and darts equipment maker Wimmau.