William Hill and PDC part ways following 2022 World Darts Championship

Cazoo has been announced as the new title sponsor of the PDC World Darts Championship, signalling the end of William Hill’s sponsorship since 2015 and what was 19 years of betting sponsorships with Ladbrokes starting the run in 2003.

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) announced that Cazoo has extended its darts sponsorship to eight events with the inking of the deal extending the online car retail giant’s portfolio that includes the World Cup of Darts, Premier League, European Championship and Grand Slam of Darts.

William’s Hill deal with the World Darts Championship, which ran for 16 days this year in December and early January, was one of the most high-profile sponsorships in sport, estimated to be worth around £2m a year.

The announcement comes at a time where a number of gambling firms are scaling back their sponsorships amid the government’s review of the Gambling Act 2005.

However, it is not believed that this is the reason why William Hill has stepped back, with the bookmaker instead citing a “review of [its] sponsorship strategy”.

Liam McKee, director of media, sponsorship and creative, said: “We would like to thank the PDC, the broadcasters and the amazing fans for their support during the eight years of our sponsorship of the William Hill World Darts Championship.

“We took the decision not to renew the sponsorship after a review of our sponsorship strategy, and with our contract coming to an end, we thought it was the best time to look at other opportunities.

“We are proud of our association with this great tournament and wish Cazoo the very best of luck as the new sponsors.”