William Hill extends World Darts Championship deal
Operator to sponsor the championship until at least 2020 following successful first year
William Hill has extended its contract with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to sponsor the World Darts Championship until at least 2020, the operator announced today.
The UK bookmaker was originally named title sponsor of the tournament last year as part of a seven-figure, two-year deal, replacing rival operator Ladbrokes which had sponsored the annual event since 2003.
News of William Hill’s sponsorship contract extension comes ahead of the hotly anticipated 2016 championships which begins at Alexandra Palace this Thursday and ends on 3 January.
“I’m delighted that we’ve extended our sponsorship agreement with the PDC for a further five years, as the William Hill World Darts Championship is now one of the highlights of the sporting calendar and one that takes centre stage over the festive period,” James Henderson, William Hill CEO, said.
The World Darts Championship was first staged in 1993-94 and has since become one of the most popular events in the sports calendar with more than 66,000 tickets sold for this year’s tournament and millions watching on TV.
“William Hill has been a great supporter of PDC in recent years and it’s fantastic that they will remain as title sponsors of the Word Darts Championship for at least the next five years,” Barry Hearn, PDC chairman, said.
“We look forward to working with William Hill over the coming years to continue that growth for our sport’s greatest event,” he added.
Last year William Hill also released a darts betting app on iOS devices, featuring live match simulations of each tie, timed to coincide with the start of the 2015 World Championship.