Record prize money of £700,000 will be paid out in next year’s Betway Premier League Darts following the agreement of a new three-year title sponsorship deal.
The commitment from the online betting and casino company follows a successful partnership with the PDC’s widest-reaching event in 2014, where Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld lifted the title in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at London’s O2.
More than 100,000 fans from Exeter to Aberdeen will experience the ever-popular event featuring ten of the sport’s biggest names after the 2015 series kicks off in Leeds in February.
PDC chairman Barry Hearn said: “We’re delighted that Betway have extended their sponsorship of the Betway Premier League Darts for a further three years and the increased prize money is both a reflection of the growth of the tournament and the incredibly standard of darts which our players produce on a weekly basis.
“The 2014 Betway Premier League Darts season was the most exciting and competitive yet, with the race for Play-Off places going all the way to the last league night before the dramatic finals night in London.
“This event has been a phenomenal success in the past ten years and has been one of the major catalysts of darts’ boom in popularity, with fans across the UK and Ireland able to see the biggest names in the sport live in fantastic arenas.”
Betway’s commitment sees prize money increase by £150,000 from this year’s total for 2015, executive director Bob Dutnall adding: “Betway Premier League Darts was hugely successful for Betway in 2014, our first year of sponsorship, so we are delighted to have secured a long term sponsorship deal in a sport that is increasingly growing in popularity.
“Betway believes in bringing the thrill of sports action to the fans and the Betway Premier League Darts is perfect as it creates a lively and fun atmosphere. Darts betting is a tremendously exciting market for customers and the personalities of the game’s players add to that interest.
“Last year’s champion, Raymond van Barneveld, was available at 28/1 on Betway.com at the start of the tournament so it really shows what an open and competitive tournament it can be.”
Following the opening night in Leeds, the action continues in Bournemouth, Liverpool, Belfast, Exeter, Nottingham, Glasgow and Dublin before “Judgement Night” in Manchester sees the bottom two players relegated
Six-time Premier League Darts champion Phil Taylor said: “Betway Premier League Darts is the sport at its most exciting – the game’s best players in the best venues around the UK and Ireland. Barney had better watch out, because in 2015 I want my title back.”
The ten-player field for the 2015 Betway Premier League Darts will be confirmed early next year, with the top four players from the PDC Order of Merit following the World Championship final on January 4 joined by six Wildcards who will be selected by the PDC and Sky Sports.
See Betway Premier League star Gary Anderson at one of the biggest darts events of the year!
Apocalypse 2014 sees the return of one of last year’s most popular exhibitions. Anderson will be joined by UKSM trio Justin Pipe, Kevin Painter and Ian White, along with Keith Deller, Eric Bristow, Wayne Mardle, Steve Beaton and John Lowe. MC Russ Bray will again host the event on Saturday 6 December at the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre.
Tickets for the titantic tungsten tussles are selling fast and are available now from our online shop.
Picture by Lawrence Lustig/PDC