Viaplay starts broadcasting darts tournaments in the Netherlands in March 2022

Dutch website Streamwijzer reported this week that streaming service Viaplay will be launched in the Netherlands in March 2022.

Viaplay is part of the Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT), which will hold the Dutch broadcasting rights of the darts tournaments from 2022 onwards. The denouement of the World Darts Championship, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final from January 1-3, can still be seen on current rights holder RTL 7.

After that, the RTL era will be over for the time being. However, the start of Viaplay in March means that the first darts tournaments of the new season will not be broadcasted by the new Dutch on demand platform.

The Masters takes place from January 28-30, while the Premier League Darts starts on Thursday February 3. Also the next televised tournament, the UK Open from March 4-6, may not yet be shown on Viaplay. According to the latest rumours, the Premier League Darts night in Ahoy Rotterdam on Thursday March 24, will be the first darts event offered by Viaplay in the Netherlands.

Possible alternative?

That Viaplay misses the first major tournaments of 2022, does not mean that Dutch darts fans can not watch their idols. Viaplay already has the broadcasting rights of the German Bundesliga, but because the streaming service is not available yet, football fans can go to the YouTube channel of the Bundesliga until March.

The PDC does not broadcast their tournaments on YouTube, but they do have their own stream channel with PDC TV. Normally, there is a geoblock for Dutch fans during the televised tournaments. Possibly this block will be lifted in the period that Viaplay has not yet started broadcasting darts tournaments in the Netherlands.

Dartsnews has asked Viaplay for a reaction, but they could not confirm the above news yet. The organisation said that all plans will be announced soon.