ITV retains broadcast rights to PDC Darts with contract signed until 2028 but with considerable shake-up expected

ITV Sport will remain the home of free-to-air darts until at least 2028. The channel has reached a new agreement with the PDC to broadcast the sport's major tournaments beyond November. Still, 2026 promises to be a new era: Matchroom Media, the media company owned by Barry and Eddie Hearn, will take over full production of the broadcasts - and that will significantly change the face of darts on television.

The current contract between the PDC and ITV expires after the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, which take place next month. Under this agreement, ITV broadcasts several major events annually, including the UK Open, the European Darts Championship, the World Series of Darts Finals and the Players Championship Finals.

World Series tournaments around the world - from Bahrain to the Netherlands - are also regular fixtures on the ITV program.

Although it seemed for a while that ITV would lose its position as a darts broadcaster, it now appears that the channel will largely retain the rights. Still, the way broadcasts are made and presented will change dramatically.

From 2026, Matchroom Media, the media company owned by Barry and Eddie Hearn, will be responsible for the full production of all PDC events not under the Sky Sports umbrella. This will give Matchroom control not only of the picture, but also of the presentation, the commentator teams and the overall style of the broadcasts.

For the regular ITV team, this marks the end of an era. The production staff and several regular faces of the darts broadcasts were recently informed that their services will no longer be needed after the Players Championship Finals.

One of those trusted voices, Chris Mason, let it be known via social media that it was the end of an era. "One more event to do with the current team before production is put in the safe hands of Matchroom.

"18 years is a long old time to spend with colleagues that have become friends. Darts of course will be staying on ITV Sport but it’s going feel and look very different."

Presenters and commentators such as Dan Dawson, Mark Webster, Mark Wilson and Ali Drew were also still involved this year in broadcasting the World Series of Darts in Bahrain and the Netherlands and likely will be among those involved in the coverage of the new format. Albeit Mason has also worked for PDCTV on European Tour and ProTours so may still be involved.

Matt Porter, Chief Executive of the PDC spoke of their delight amid the signing of the new deal. "We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with ITV, with the new deal set to take our partnership beyond 20 years."With more buzz around darts than ever before, we are pleased to be able to deliver free-to-air coverage of so many of our popular events to UK fans."

While Niall Sloane, Director of Sport for ITV was pleased to confirm their stay and their relationship with the PDC. "We are pleased to expand and extend our live darts coverage here at ITV Sport, as we look to keep the biggest events in professional darts free-to-air for the UK audience to enjoy.

"We have a great relationship with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and look forward to continuing our work with them into 2028."

Matchroom president Barry Hearn spoke openly earlier this year about his vision for the future of sports broadcasting. According to him, the media landscape is in the midst of change and the dart world must adapt to new generations of viewers. "We live in a numbers game. ITV4 has been fantastically successful for us in the numbers it’s got. We need to be more encouraging to the younger market, which involves talking to them in the language that they understand and the medium that they understand.

“And that’s why the world is becoming more digital. The future is more Netflix than free-to-air. It’s going to involve a multiple number of broadcasters. Some free-to-air, some behind the pay-model.

“People will be able to watch what they want to watch, the sports they want to watch, when they want to watch it and for a price they can afford. I find that really exciting.”

Despite ITV largely retaining, it could see the rights shared. In May, the British press reported that Channel 5 would be in advanced talks about securing some broadcast rights that became available. Whether those negotiations led to a concrete deal is unclear at this time. It could be that some events will soon be split between multiple channels, something that fits with Hearn's vision of a "multi-platform" approach.

What is certain: darts on ITV will remain, but in a whole new format. Matchroom is known for its modern, dynamic productions with a strong focus on digital content, social media and international streaming. For viewers, that likely means a fresh, contemporary look - but also the farewell of some familiar faces who for years became household names.

So after 18 years, a familiar formula is coming to an end, but it seems only the beginning of a new chapter in the meteoric growth of the PDC. One thing is certain: the darts will continue to fly - only the stage where we see them will look a lot different starting in 2026.

The Players Championship Finals will be the final chapter but also a dawning of a new era as ITV have managed to stave off competition to keep the rights.