PDC invests over three million in global darts growth after unprecedented international success at the World Darts Championship

The Professional Darts Corporation is taking the next step in the globalization of darts. They have announced plans to invest over three million pounds between 2026 and 2028 in the so-called Global Affiliate Tours. With that financial boost, the PDC aims to further strengthen the foundations of professional darts outside Europe and accelerate the pathway to the highest level.

The investment is part of a new three-year funding cycle in which the PDC will not only increase prize money but also create more playing opportunities for darters from every continent. According to the organization, it is a logical next step following the growth that international darts has experienced since the COVID period.

The announcement comes at a time when the PDC sees the sport’s global expansion paying off on stage as well. During the early rounds of the current World Championship at Alexandra Palace, several international qualifiers impressed. Players from Africa, Asia, and South America, among others, showed that standards outside the traditional darts nations are rising quickly.

The PDC now wants to support that development structurally. In addition to larger prize money, leading players from the various regions will receive extra access to key PDC events. This allows them to qualify via their regional tours for PDC Qualifying School, the preliminary rounds of the World Masters, and to compete in tournaments such as the World Cup of Darts, the Grand Slam of Darts, and the World Darts Championship.

A key component of the investment is the introduction of minimum prize money guarantees across all Affiliate Tours. The PDC wants to provide stability for players and organizers so regional circuits can further professionalize.

The organization calls it a continuation of the growth visible since 2021. The exact implementation varies by region, but everywhere the focus is on expansion and higher prize funds.

The Asian Tour will start in January 2026 in Dubai and that year will consist of 28 tournaments, each with a prize fund of $15,000. In addition, the PDC Asian Championship is on the calendar with a total prize pool of $110,000.

In North America, the Championship Darts Corporation will stage a circuit of sixteen tournaments with a total of $250,000 in prize money. On top of that come the payouts at the Continental Cup, the Cross-Border Darts Challenge, and the PDC North American Championship, which coincides with the US Darts Masters.

Europe also benefits. The Nordic & Baltic Tour will continue to grow, with twelve ProTour events each worth €7,500 and a season-ending championship of €20,000, introduced in 2025.

In Oceania, prize money will rise on the DartPlayers New Zealand circuit, where twelve tournaments will each offer NZ$5,000. After a successful debut season, the Australian Darts Association will expand to 24 events across six weekends. Each tournament will have a prize fund of AU$5,600. The ANZ Premier League will also return in 2026.

In China, the schedule will expand to a 20-tournament tour with $4,400 in prize money per event. There will also be a China Championship with a prize pool of $12,000.

For Africa, the PDC has reached a new agreement with the African Darts Group. The African Continental Tour will now comprise six events in both North and South Africa, each with a prize fund of 50,000 South African rand. Moreover, from the 2026/27 season, the African circuit will deliver two spots for the World Darts Championship meaning more stories like David Munyua and even the talent that is Peter Wachiuri who agonisingly missed out on Ally Pally but has shone on MODUS Super Series also from Kenya.

The circuit in Latin America and the Caribbean will also continue to receive support. Championship Darts Latin America & Caribbean (CDLC) will organize six tournaments, each with $2,000 in prize money, combined with a qualifier for the World Cup of Darts.

PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter calls the investment a milestone. “This is a huge boost for all our Global Affiliate Tours and possibly the most important announcement ever for the global growth of darts,” he says.

According to Porter as per PDC, the investment is the result of intensive collaboration with local partners. "We have worked hard alongside our local partners in each region to build their calendars and provide increased opportunities and pathways for their players – and the results we are starting to see in our Premier events, plus the growing spread of Tour Card Holders, shows that we are heading in the right direction to achieve our goal of truly globalising professional darts.

The PDC chief stresses that the next three years are crucial. "This announcement gives our global partners certainty for the next three years but also a platform to continue growing the sport across their regions."

Porter points to recent examples. "The success Kenya's David Munyua and India's Nitin Kumar in being their nation's first winners on the World Championship stage and with Jesus Salate becoming the first Argentinian player in the event will only inspire more players from around the world and there is now a defined route for these players to gain more big-stage experience."

According to Porter, there is now a clear route to the top level for players from all parts of the world. "These increases in our global support follow the prize fund boosts implemented from now onwards across the PDC circuit, as we enter a hugely exciting new era for our sport."