Top Industries that Are Sponsoring Darts - 2023 Overview

Sponsorship has become a vital component in supporting the growth and development of various sports, and darts is no exception. While darts may not enjoy the same level of mainstream popularity as sports like football or tennis, it has cultivated a dedicated fan base that continues to expand. A testament to this is the PDC World Darts Championship, which garnered an average viewership of 1.72 million. As the sport of darts gains momentum, it has caught the attention of various industries seeking to capitalize on its growing appeal. In this overview of 2023, we explore the top industries that have embraced darts as a sponsorship opportunity. Let’s check them out.

Gambling Industry

It may come as a surprise to some, but it is the iGaming brands that are at the forefront of sponsoring darts competitions. The logos of numerous traditional and online casinos can be spotted prominently displayed during some of the sport's most popular events. The reason behind this phenomenon is quite simple to grasp. Many individuals seek to add an extra level of excitement to darts matches by testing their luck and placing bets on different participants.

According to our research, there are approximately 10 active sponsorship deals in 2023. Betway, one of the best online casino companies, according to this source, is one of the brands that has agreed on the most valuable sponsorship deals. They made a deal with PDC and became the sponsor of a 32-nation tournament in Frankfurt. We have strong confidence that this number will continue to grow in the future. Darts is increasingly becoming a favored option for betting among a wide range of individuals, and various insights confirm that this trend will persist in the coming years.

Retail Industry

Companies from the retail industry are the second biggest sponsors of different darts competitions. Currently, there are, in total, 7 active sponsorship contracts. The biggest one signed is between different PDC tournaments and Cazoo, the online car retailer. That deal was made last year. Some of the competitions involved in these agreements with Cazoo are the UK Open and the Players Championship Finals.

Sports Equipment Industry

Based on our research, two deals are made by companies from the sports equipment industry and darts competitions. However, we do believe that the number will increase in the future. These brands are present in all sports categories, which is the reason why we have such a claim.

Probably the most interesting contract signed is the one between Professional Darts Corporation and Winmau. Winmau is a very successful brand focused on manufacturing dartboards. Their agreement was made in January 2022 and will last until 2027.

As you can probably guess, Winmau agreed to become the official provider of dartboards for PDC competitions. The model they agreed on is Blade 6 Triple Core artboard. If you follow the PDC regularly, you know what we are talking about. These pieces of equipment are present in competitions such as Development Tour, Challenge Tour, European Tour, and others.

Beverage Industry

It is not a secret that beverage businesses sponsor different competitions. Some are official sponsors of international competitions such as the UEFA World Cup, Mundobasket, etc. However, with the increasing popularity of darts worldwide, many beverage brands also got interested in investing in darts events. Unfortunately, only a few of them have been ready to take action.

The biggest contract signed between beverage brands and darts competitions is the one between PDC World Darts Championship and Ballygowan. That contract was signed in 2021 and ended in January 2022. It was worth $0.18 million.

Mainstream Media

Many TV channels have negotiated with different darts competitions and become their sponsors. Good examples of that are Sky Sports, Fox Sports, iTV Sport, and a few other TV stations. Improvement in popularity has always been the main goal of these agreements. Considering the increasing popularity of this sport, it looks like these contracts paid off.

How Will the Future of Darts Look?

It is hard to say how the future of darts will look. Yet, many brands are getting involved as sponsors at different darts tournaments. If the same trend continues, and we are sure it will, there is a big chance the popularity of darts will continue in the future.

We would like to explain certain things here additionally. The game itself is quite popular in different regions of the planet. Many people have at least once played this game with their friends. Although the popularity of competition is also amazing, there is still enough place to grow. We believe the efforts of the main sponsors to promote this sport will pay off one day. In other words, we believe that the future of darts is bright!