ITV4 will continue to broadcast live coverage of Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events until at least the end of 2022 under agreeing a new multi-year contract.
The deal will see ITV Sport remain as the free-to-air home of five top-level tournaments – the Masters, UK Open, European Championship, Players Championship Finals and World Series of Darts Finals.
In addition, ITV4 will also broadcast coverage of the PDC’s World Series of Darts events, with the 2021 schedule planned to include events in Australia, New Zealand and America, where New York’s famous Madison Square Garden will host the US Darts Masters.
ITV’s yearly darts coverage begins with the Masters at the end of January, which in 2021 has been expanded to feature 24 players competing at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, before the UK Open sees 160 players in action in the exciting multi-board format widely regarded as “the FA Cup of Darts”.
The European Championship, featuring 32 stars from the year’s European Tour circuit, headlines the autumn’s events alongside the World Series of Darts Finals and Players Championship Finals.
Commenting on the PDC’s new deal with ITV, chairman Barry Hearn said:
“We’re delighted to extend our partnership. ITV Sport have been valuable partners for the PDC for over a decade and our events remain hugely popular with their viewers.
“Last year’s Masters win for Peter Wright was followed by Michael van Gerwen winning the UK Open on a weekend which featured two televised nine-darters and showcased the excitement of top-level darts.
“We also saw Gerwyn Price win the World Series of Darts Finals and further wins for Wright and Van Gerwen in the European Championship and Players Championship Finals, and go into 2021 with competition at the sport’s highest level greater than ever.
“We’re looking forward to bringing more thrilling PDC action to ITV viewers in the coming years!”
ITV has broadcast PDC darts since 2007 and its new contract comes alongside multi-year deals with the World Snooker Tour and Matchroom Multi Sport.
For a full list of all forthcoming major darts tournaments on the box, visit SOTB’s dedicated darts on TV listings page.
