ITV’s New Three-Year Deal for PDC Darts

THE Professional Darts Corporation and ITV have signed a new broadcast contract to continue their coverage of five of the sport’s biggest tournaments from 2018-2020.

ITV4 have secured a new three-year deal to cover The Masters, UK Open, European Championship, World Series of Darts Finals and Players Championship Finals.

The Masters was introduced to the PDC circuit in 2013 and sees the world’s top 16 players competing across one weekend, with Michael van Gerwen having won the title for the past three years.

The UK Open features the unique format of seeing 128 players competing across eight stages at the Butlins Minehead Resort, with 96 professional players joined by 32 amateur qualifiers in the exciting and unpredictable event, which was won by Peter Wright this March.

The 32-player European Championship and 64-player Players Championship Finals feature qualifiers from the respective European Tour and Players Championship series’ of events.

The World Series of Darts Finals, meanwhile, was introduced in 2015 as a season-ending championship which follows the series of international tournaments which are also broadcast on ITV4.