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WORLD CHAMPS
MATCHPLAY
GRAND PRIX
DESERT CLASSIC
UK OPEN
PREMIER LEAGUE
US OPEN
NORTH AMERICAN
GRAND SLAM
SA MASTERS
EUROPEAN
PLAYERS CHAMPS
AWARDS
HIGHLIGHTS
PRO CELEBRITY
ASIAN MASTERS
LADBROKES.COM PDC WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Dates:
December and January.
TV Hours:
80 Hours Live or 20 x 1 Hour Highlights
Format:
70 players from across the globe compete over 13 days at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace to determine the destination of the most prestigious trophy in the game, as well as the biggest prize in darts, a £125,000 winner’s cheque. Including the top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit and 20 International Qualifiers, the tournament is played over the Christmas and New Year period. The matches start out as best of five sets, and culminate in best of 13 sets for the final.
Prize Fund:
£740,000
Nations represented:
Minimum 18 countries from around the world.
Venue:
Alexandra Palace. Inaugural year:
1994
Previous winners:
Dennis Priestley (ENG), Phil Taylor (ENG) x 12, John Part (CAN) x 2, Raymond van Barneveld (NED)
Archive:
1996 to 2008, 201 Hours
STANJAMES.COM WORLD MATCHPLAY
Dates:
July 20 to 26, 2009.
TV Hours:
40 Hours Live or 15 x 1 Hour Highlights
Format:
The world’s leading 32 players gather at the legendary Winter Gardens in Blackpool for the summer’s most exciting tournament, the World Matchplay. Played in a legs format that starts with best of 19, culminating in the best of 35 for the final, the tournament is loved by players and fans, and has been won nine times by Phil Taylor.
Prize Fund:
£400,000.
Nations represented:
UK, Ireland, Holland, Canada, USA.
Venue:
Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
Inaugural year:
1994.
Previous winners:
Larry Butler (USA), Peter Evison (ENG), Phil Taylor (ENG) x 9, Rod Harrington (ENG) x 2, Colin Lloyd (ENG), James Wade (ENG).
Archive:
1995 to 2006, 196 Hours.
SKYBET WORLD GRAND PRIX
Dates:
October.
TV hours:
30 Hours Live or 15 x 1 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The World Grand Prix sees 32 top players face off at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel in one of the most exciting and unpredictable events in darts. Every leg has to begin and
end with a double – meaning even the top names can struggle if they fail to hit the doubles. The event commences with best of three set matches with the final set for 11 sets.
Prize Fund:
£250,000.
Nations represented:
UK, Ireland, Holland, Canada, USA.
Venue:
Citywest Hotel, Dublin.
Inaugural Year:
1998.
Previous Winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG) x 7, Alan Warriner (ENG), Colin Lloyd (ENG), James Wade (ENG).
Archive:
1998 – 2007, 150 Hours.
PARTYPOKER.NET LAS VEGAS DESERT CLASSIC
Dates:
July 1 – 5, 2009.
TV hours:
22 Hours Live or 9 x 1 Hour Highlights.
Format:
Darts visits the entertainment capital of the world for the annual summer spectacular, the Las Vegas Desert Classic. Featuring 32 stars battling for £200,000 in prize money, including the world’s top 12, four leading North Americans and 16 qualifiers. The final is over the best of 31 legs.
Prize fund:
£200,000.
Nations represented:
UK, Ireland, Holland, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany.
Venue:
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
Inaugural year:
2002
Previous winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG) x 4, Peter Manley (ENG), John Part (CAN), Raymond van Barneveld (NED).
Archive:
2002–2008, 63 Hours
BLUE SQUARE UK OPEN
Dates:
June 4 to 7, 2009.
TV hours:
24 Hours Live or 13 x 2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The UK Open has become known as the “FA Cup of Darts” since its introduction in 2003, with top professionals joined by leading amateur players at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium. The open draw nature throws up massive games in early rounds as well as the chance for a new star to be made, while the tournament is unique for having eight stages playing at once around the arena.
Prize Fund:
£200,000.
Nations Represented:
UK, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Canada, USA.
Venue:
Reebok Stadium, Bolton.
Inaugural year:
2003.
Previous winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG) x 2, Roland Scholten (NED), Raymond van Barneveld (NED) x 2, James Wade (ENG).
Archive:
2003 to 2007, 130 Hours.
WHYTE AND MACKAY PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS
Dates:
February to May, 2009.
TV hours:
60 Hours Live or 30 x 2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
Premier League Darts has become a phenomenon in British sport since its inception in 2005. Pitting the world’s best eight players, led by Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade, against each other over 14 weeks in a league format, the stars face each other twice in the UK’s biggest arenas on Thursday evenings. The top four qualify for the big money play-offs, held on one night at the end of May.
Prize fund:
£400,000.
Nations represented:
UK, Holland, Canada.
Venue:
15 different arenas around UK.
Inaugural year:
2005.
Previous winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG) x 3.
Archive:
2005 – 2007, 180 Hours.
US OPEN DARTS
TV Hours:
6 x 1 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The PDC US Open sees the top players from both sides of the Atlantic battling over two days, with the early stages being held simultaneously on 32 dartboards. The top 16 then face off in front of the television cameras, testing the ability of players to perform in two separate environments in the same event.
Prize Fund:
£125,000.
Nations Represented:
USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Holland, Germany.
Venue:
TBC
Inaugural Year:
2007.
Previous Winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG) x 2.
Archive:
2007 to 2008, 12 Hours.
NORTH AMERICAN DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP
TV
Hours:
1 x 2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The North American Darts Championship sees players from USA and Canada doing battle for supremacy. Won in 2007 by Darin Young, the biggest names in North American darts, led by three-time World Champion John Part, former World Matchplay winner Larry Butler and 2008 UK Open runner-up Gary Mawson, face off for the $15,000 first prize.
Prize Fund:
$50,000
Nations Represented:
USA, Canada
Venue:
TBC
Inaugural Year:
2008.
Previous Winners:
Darin Young
Archive:
2008, 2 Hours.
PARTYPOKER.COM GRAND SLAM OF DARTS
Dates:
November.
TV Hours:
51 Hours Live or 9 x 2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The sport of darts is united for the Grand Slam of Darts as 32 champions of the sport face off at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Featuring players who have reached major finals for the past two years, the Grand Slam of Darts includes PDC World Champion John Part, his BDO equivalent Mark Webster, 2007 Grand Slam winner Phil Taylor and 2008 UK Open winner James Wade, as well as famous names such as Raymond van Barneveld and Wayne Mardle and international champions from Australia and north America. Played in a group format for the round-robin first round, the top two from each of eight groups progress to the knockout phase from the last 16 onwards.
Prize Fund:
£350,000.
Nations Represented:
UK, Canada, Australia, Holland, Ireland.
Venue:
Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Inaugural Year:
2007.
Previous Winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG) X2.
Archive:
2007 and 2008, 18 Hours.
EMPEROR'S PALACE SOUTH AFRICAN MASTERS
Dates:
September.
TV Hours:
3 Hours Live or 3 x 1 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The South African Masters pits the world’s top four players against the best players in South African Darts. The four semi-finalists from the PDC South African Open qualify to take on Phil Taylor, James Wade, John Part and Wayne Mardle on stage at Emperors Palace Casino in Johannesburg – an atmospheric setting for a global contest.
Prize Fund:
£15,000.
Nations Represented:
UK, Canada, South Africa.
Venue:
Emperors Palace Casino, Johannesburg.
Inaugural Year:
2007.
Previous Winners:
Phil Taylor (ENG).
Archive:
2007, 3 Hours.
PARTYPOKER.NET EUROPEAN DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Dates:
October and November.
TV Hours:
24 Hours Live.
Format: The inaugural European Championship will see 32 players battle over four days in Frankfurt to claim a £50,000 first prize.The world’s top 16 players will be joined by the best eight from the PDC’s Pro Tour, as well as the leading four European players, two qualifiers and two leading German/Austrian stars. With the first round played out over two days, the knockout action continues over the weekend to a final on Sunday November 2.
Prize Fund:
£230,000.
Nations Represented:
UK, Canada, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Austria.
Venue:
Südbahnof, Frankfurt.
Inaugural Year:
2008
CORAL.CO.UK PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP TV FINALS
Dates:
January and February
TV Hours:
24 Hours Live.
Format:
The inaugural Players Championship TV Finals will see the best 32 players in the Order of Merit from the 29 Players Championship tournaments held in 2008, face off to become the champion of champions. With the Players Championship events forming a key part of the PDC circuit, the tournament is guaranteed excitement as the in-form 32 players meet in this new knockout event.
Prize Fund:
£200,000.
Nations Represented:
UK, Canada, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Austria, USA.
Venue:
TBC.
Inaugural Year:
2009.
PDC ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
TV Hours:
1/2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
Join the stars of the PDC and the sport’s biggest names at the Dorchester Hotel in London to look back and reward the achievers, champions and new talents at the PDC Awards Dinner.
Archive:
2007, 2008.
2007 PDC DARTS HIGHLIGHTS
TV Hours:
1 x 2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
2007 was undoubtedly the best year in the history of the PDC, seeing a new star emerge as James Wade took two titles, and Raymond van Barneveld continue his battle for supremacy with Phil Taylor. This programme looks back on the very best action, culminating in a dramatic PDC World Championship, as Canada’s John Part and newcomer Kirk Shepherd did battle for the biggest prize in darts.
PARTYPOKER.COM PRO-CELEBRITY DARTS
Dates:
November.
TV Hours:
1 x 2 Hour Highlights.
Format:
Darts is sexy! If any proof was needed of the rise in popularity of darts, this is it, as eight top celebrities team up with darts’ eight leading names in a Pro-Celebrity Darts challenge. Held in Wolverhampton ahead of the Grand Slam of Darts.
Celebrities competing include Boyzone’s Mikey Graham, Coronation Street legend Michael Le Vell, England rugby hero Mike Tindall, cricket superstar Phil Tufnell and former boxing champion Barry McGuigan, while darts World Champions John Part and Mark Webster, the game’s greatest ever player Phil Taylor and Women’s World Champion Anastasia Dobromyslova are among the darting stars taking part.
Nations Represented:
Canada, UK, Russia
Venue:
TBC
Inaugural Year:
2008.
ASIAN MASTERS
Dates:
January.
TV Hours:
3 Hours Live or 2 x 1 Hour Highlights.
Format:
The Asian Masters will see the top four players in darts travel to the Far East to take on the best players Asia has to offer in a new, one-day knockout tournament.
Prize Fund:
$200,000.
Nations Represented:
UK, Canada plus Asian countries.
Venue:
Singapore.
Inaugural Year:
2009.
TO find out about broadcasting any of the PDC events, contact Karen Manzi, Matchroom Sport's Head of Television Sales, on +44 1869 340940.