Sky 2 & Challenge to screen 2014 PDC World Series events

The stars of PDC darts continue their globe-trotting adventures this August as they travel to the Singapore and Sydney to compete in the latest legs of the World Series of Darts, both of which will be televised in the UK by two Sky-owned channels.

Part of the PDC’s aim for worldwide expansion, the World Series of Darts concept, which began in 2012, takes the professional side of the sport to uncharted territories and this year sees the inaugural Singapore Darts Masters take place on August 15-16, which will be screened live on Sky 2 in UK, followed by the second Sydney Darts Masters, which be broadcast by Challenge. 

Following on from the first leg of the series in Dubai back in the May, the 2014 World Series of Darts continues with the inaugural Singapore Darts Masters at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The two-day event which will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky 2, available on Sky and Virgin Media, featuring the world’s top eight players and commencing with the quarter-finals on Friday, August 15 before the semi-finals and final are held in the same session on Saturday, August 16.

Reigning PDC world champion Michael van Gerwen, who won the Dubai Darts Masters earlier this year, and recent World Matchplay champion Phil Taylor head the field, alongside familiar darting names Simon Whitlock, Peter Wright, Dave Chisnall, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld and Andy Hamilton.

Following a non-televised Darts Masters event in Perth on August 22-24, the World Series of Darts action then concludes from August 28-30 at the Hordern Pavilion with the Sydney Darts Masters.

Challenge, which available to free-to-air audiences on Freeview and Freesat as well as on Sky and Virgin, will be broadcasting delayed coverage of this three-day tournament in Sydney as Phil Taylor defends the title he won in 2013 when he defeated of van Gerwen in the final.

Taylor and van Gerwen are again joined by top Australian star Whitlock, major finalists Wright and Chisnall, seven-time major winner Wade and Premier League Darts champion van Barneveld, while reigning BDO world champion Stephen Bunting comes in to make his World Series of Darts debut.

Paul Nicholson and Warren Parry will also feature in Sydney as two of the eight Oceanic qualifiers, where they will be joined by the top four players from the DPA Australian Grand Prix Order of Merit and two players from a qualifying tournament.

The first round of the Sydney Darts Masters will be held on Thursday August 28, featuring eight games at the Hordern Pavilion, followed by the quarter-finals on Friday, August 29, with the semi-finals and final on Saturday, August 30.

Despite being best known as a channel dedicated to airing classic game shows, Challenge previously screened PDC darts in 2007, when it covered the now defunct US Open tournament live from Connecticut. 

Both tournaments will also be broadcast live online via LIVEPDC.TV (subscription required), with coverage of the non-UK televised Perth Darts Masters to be made available in early September via the same website.

The World Series of Darts adds to Sky’s extensive line-up of live darts coverage on Sky Sports, which is headlined by the PDC World Championship every Christmas, as well as the Premier League, World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts.

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SINGAPORE DARTS MASTERS

SYDNEY DARTS MASTERS

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