Luke Humphries is the reigning World Darts Championship champion (Image: Getty)
are reportedly at risk of losing the with Netflix and considering entering the bidding for a deal that could cost £45million per year. Next month sees the final Alexandra Palace event covered by Sky’s existing seven-year deal.
Interest in darts has boomed over the last few years, partially accelerated by the rise of British sensation Luke Littler. and Amazon reportedly see value in showing events around the Christmas period, with the latter already boasting the rights to games during that period.
The rights auction for the tournament will be the most lucrative in the PDC’s 31-year history. Chairman Barry Hearn has already called on Sky to “raise the ante” if they are to secure the exclusive broadcasting rights for another term.
Sky currently pay £12m per year for the rights to 60 days of live darts annually. According to the , the broadcaster is willing to double that figure to around £25m.
However, Hearn reportedly values the rights at around £45m. That could tempt or Amazon to steal the World Championship from Sky.
The PDC is hoping to land a bumper deal to reflect the sport’s growth. In terms of peak viewing figures, darts is Sky’s second-biggest sport, behind football. But other sports receive far more lucrative deals.
Sky pay £1.2billion per year for their rights, dominating their expenditure. However, English cricket’s deal for home internationals and domestic cricket is worth £220m per year, while rugby league’s Super League is paid £21m per year.
There was incredible interest in last year’s World Championship, which saw a then-16-year-old Littler reach the final. Around 4.8m watched his defeat by Luke Humphries in the final, with the audience peaking at 3.7m.
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“We owe Sky a massive, massive debt,” Hearn said in September. “They stuck with us in the early days, and loyalty is a big part of our business. But also I have a responsibility to players to maximise their earnings. There’s going to be some interesting conversations.
“Compare us to anyone else. Show me what you pay rugby union, league, golf, and tell me why I don’t get the same or more. I really hope Sky raise the ante.”
Sky also have the rights to Darts, the World Matchplay and the World Cup of Darts. Those three tournaments will be shown by Sky in 2025, but a renewal of the broadcasting rights will need to be agreed before next year’s World Championship.