Sky Sports has extended its exclusive darts coverage until at least 2030 by signing a historic five-year agreement with the PDC.
Reaffirming its dedication to providing fans worldwide with top-notch darts action, Sky Sports, the host of the sport’s most prominent tournaments since the PDC’s founding in 1993, extends its long-standing collaboration with a record-breaking deal worth over £125 million.
After negotiating a high price despite interest from big streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Barry Hearn and Matchroom have reportedly landed a groundbreaking new deal that is more than twice as large as the previous one.
Fans will never miss a second of the action thanks to this exclusive collaboration, which will provide over 60 days of live coverage of elite events like the World Darts Championship, Premier League Darts, World Matchplay, Grand Slam, World Grand Prix, and World Cup of Darts.
Sky Sports reached unprecedented viewership records when the 2023–24 World Championship final between Luke Humphries and Luke Littler attracted a record audience of nearly 4.8 million and peaked at 3.71 million, the network’s highest-ever non-football peak. With all 15 of the highest-viewed nights from the previous year’s tournament, the enthusiasm persisted in 2024 as Premier League Darts broke all previous records.
The sport’s rising popularity was further highlighted by the 2024–2025 World Darts Championship, which had an astounding 29% increase in average attendance year over year.
Sky Sports stated; “We’re excited to keep innovating to tell the stories and bring fans closer to the action through our unrivalled coverage of the biggest darts tournaments for the next five years.”
The Inexorable Ascent of PDC: Record Viewership and Increasing Popularity
Our sport has recently experienced incredible growth and attained unprecedented popularity. Sky’s record-breaking viewing numbers and consistent audience engagement over the past year demonstrate the exceptional popularity of PDC events, representing the sport’s ongoing growth and broad appeal.
“We’re determined to continue this growth in the coming years and it’s hugely important for us to have Sky working with us to help deliver more exciting tournaments for players, fans and viewers.”
The PDC plans to increase prize money in the upcoming years to take advantage of the extra TV revenue; a £1 million top prize for the World Championship is rumoured.
With a £500,000 winner’s check included, the total prize fund has been £2.5 million since 2019. As the tournament field grows from 96 to 128 competitors, this number is anticipated to increase, ushering in an exciting new age for the competition.