The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has renewed its rights agreement in the UK with commercial broadcaster ITV until 2028.
Under the renewal, ITV will continue to air 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.
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ITV’s current one-year contract covering the 2024-25 PDC season was due to end after the Players Championship Finals in Minehead next month. That deal saw ITV’s biggest-ever year of darts coverage for 2025.
The new deal will also see the PDC take control of event production of all events not under the Sky Sports umbrella from 2026, which means a shake-up of hosts and analysts during broadcasts.
Production will come via Matchroom Media, the media company owned by British promoters Barry and Eddie Hearn. Matchroom took a majority stake in the PDC in 2001.
The agreement adds to ITV’s portfolio of live sports, which includes extensive soccer rights to all England men and women national team qualifiers, the UEFA Nations League, the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups, the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2028, as well as the domestic English Football League and Carabao Cup.
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By GlobalDataOther rights include the rugby’s Six Nations Championship, ITV horse racing, British Touring Cars, and motor racing’s Formula E.
PDC’s new five-year deal with UK pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports is due to start with the World Championship in December.
The new deal includes 60 days of exclusive live coverage from iconic tournaments such as the World Darts Championship, the Premier League, World Matchplay, the Grand Slam of Darts, the World Grand Prix, and the World Cup of Darts.
Sky has been a UK PDC broadcast partner since the body was established in 1993. The last tie-up between the two parties was struck in late 2017 and covers the 2018-25 cycle.
