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!