VTM, the Dutch-language broadcaster in Belgium, has expanded its rights package with the Professional Darts Corporation to cover all events from 2027.
The new deal builds on the pair’s current agreement, struck in 2020, which sees VTM provide free-to-air coverage of PDC’s Premier Events, including the World Darts Championship and Premier League, as well as Belgian European Tour events.
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Under the expansion, from 2027, VTM will also air all European Tour tournaments live across its linear channels VTM 4 and VTM 4, as well as its VTM GO streaming service.
The deal expansion comes as the sport enjoys increased popularity in Belgium, headlined by the European Tour’s Belgian Darts Open in Wieze on the European Tour calendar and a sold-out Premier League night at the AFAS Arena in Antwerp in February.
This year’s Belgian Darts Open is being held from March 20 to 22, with home favourite De Decker bidding for the title, having reached last year’s final against Luke Littler. VTM will air the event on VTM 2, with its coverage to include commentary, analysis, and on-site interviews.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter said: “We’re delighted to extend and expand our partnership with VTM, who have been instrumental in the growth of darts in Belgium in recent years.
“The increased coverage across all PDC tournaments is a significant step forward and underlines both the strength of the partnership and the continued rise of the sport in the region.
“We look forward to working with VTM to further build on this momentum and bring even more top-class darts to fans in Belgium.”
The new deal adds to the PDC’s growing list of broadcast partners as it capitalizes on its growing popularity, most recently extending its rights deal with international sports streaming platform DAZN across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH) until the end of 2031.
That deal came after pay-TV broadcaster Sky secured a peak audience of 2.5 million in the UK for the final of the World Darts Championship in January, which saw Littler beat Dutchman Gian van Veen 7-1.
Sky holds the main package of rights to PDC events in the UK, while UK commercial broadcaster ITV renewed its agreement in October to provide coverage of the r The Masters, UK Open, European Championship, and the Players Championship finals, as well as a minimum of seven events from the World Series of Darts, including the finals, across its ITV4 linear channel and ITVX streaming platform until 2028.
Other broadcasters that have acquired new rights agreements with PDC this year include Viaplay (the Netherlands) and L’Equipe (France).
