The PDC has taken an important step in the continued international growth of darts. The organization has signed a new broadcast agreement with the American sports network ESPN, allowing millions of viewers in the United States to watch the biggest PDC tournaments live in the coming period. Under the deal, five of the most prestigious events on the darts calendar will be shown on ESPN2 and the ESPN+ streaming service, a development that significantly increases the sport’s visibility in the U.S. market.
The partnership kicked off in recent days with the US Darts Masters, played this week at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. American fans can then also enjoy the World Matchplay in Blackpool, the World Grand Prix in Leicester, the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton and, as the absolute highlight, the World Darts Championship, traditionally held at Alexandra Palace in London.
For the PDC, the agreement marks a significant milestone in its ambition to further grow darts worldwide. The sport’s popularity has been rising sharply for several years, not only in traditional darts nations such as England, the Netherlands and Belgium, but also in new markets. Interest has visibly increased in North America in particular in recent years. The organization is therefore investing more heavily in events on U.S. soil, with the US Darts Masters now established as a mainstay on the World Series of Darts calendar.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter also calls it an important step for the sport’s future. According to him, interest in darts is growing worldwide at an impressive pace, with North America playing an increasingly important role. Thanks to the partnership with ESPN, even more American sports fans will have the chance to watch the biggest tournaments and the world’s best darters live. Porter also emphasizes that the United States is a strategically important market for the PDC and that the organization looks forward to developing the sport further together with ESPN.
The choice of ESPN is telling. The American sports network is among the largest and most influential sports media companies in the world and reaches a vast audience through its television channels and streaming platform. Whereas darts in the United States was previously only available to a limited extent via specialized streaming services or international providers, the sport now gains a far more prominent place within the American sporting landscape. That not only provides extra exposure for the established world stars, but can also contribute to further growth in the number of American darts fans and players. Further details on exact broadcast times and scheduling for the various tournaments will be announced at a later date.
