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Matchroom Sport has secured a deal with ITV, which will see some of darts and snooker’s flagship events broadcast on the free-to-air terrestrial network.
Some of the flagship events from darts and snooker will be broadcast on free-to-air terrestrial network television, following a deal between Matchroom Sport and ITV.
The contract, that was also signed by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Snooker Tour (WST), covers competitions including the World Series of Darts, UK Open, European Championship, The Masters and Players Championship Finals.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, commented: “We’re delighted to maintain our partnership with Matchroom with this deal, which means viewers will continue to enjoy live, comprehensive free to air coverage of some of the biggest events in snooker for years to come.”
Furthermore, the Champion of Champions snooker tournament, which is promoted by Matchroom Multi Sport, will join ITV’s already extensive portfolio of World Snooker Tour events such as the Players Championship, World Grand Prix, and Tour Championship.
“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with ITV Sport, they are now long term supporters of our events and have become valuable partners for our sports and will continue to be,” remarked Barry Hearn OBE, Chairman of Matchroom Multi Sport.
“ITV Sport have been valuable partners for the PDC for over a decade and our events remain hugely popular with their viewers. Last year’s Masters win for Peter Wright was followed by Michael van Gerwen winning the UK Open on a weekend that featured two televised nine-darters and showcased the excitement of top-level darts.
“We also saw Gerwyn Price win the World Series of Darts Finals and further wins for Wright and Van Gerwen in the European Championship and Players Championship Finals, and go into 2021 with competition at the sport’s highest level greater than ever.”
ITV4’s snooker coverage has recorded impressive viewing figures in recent years, with an audience of over one million tuning in to watch Neil Robertson’s victory over Judd Trump, a matchup widely regarded as one of the greatest all-time snooker clashes.
Matchroom has deals in place with a number of betting and gambling operators. Last year, the promotions company renewed its live betting streaming rights with Stats Perform, signing a five-year deal.
