William Hill to Title Sponsor World Darts Championship

British bookmakers William Hill have become a new sponsor of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London after signing a two-year deal with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

The seven-figure deal will see William Hill become the title sponsor of the event – which will now be known as the ‘William Hill World Darts Championship.’

 The 72-player tournament, staged by the PDC and broadcast live on Sky Sports, will be held throughout December and January, with play spanning the Christmas and New Year period before the first world champion of 2015 is crowned.

The William Hill World Darts Championship will be the online firm’s second darts sponsorship, following on from their successful three-year sponsorship of the Grand Slam of Darts at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall from 2011-2013.

Kristof Fahy, Chief Marketing Officer at William Hill, said, “The World Darts Championship is a great addition to our brand sponsorship portfolio.

“It’s a great fit. The UK’s biggest bookmaker and the biggest event in Darts.”

Andy Lee, Managing Director of William Hill Online said, “We are delighted to announce our sponsorship of the William Hill World Darts Championship.

“Our online business has shown strong growth in recent years and we believe sponsorships like this will help us reach new audiences and continue to help us grow.’

PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome William Hill as the new title sponsor for the World Darts Championship.

“Since first being staged in 1993-94, this tournament has grown into the biggest in darts, not only in terms of prize money and stature – with over £1 million paid out in the sport’s richest event – but also with the fantastic crowds who flock to Alexandra Palace every year.

“With over 50,000 fans attending live and hundreds of millions more watching on Sky Sports and around the world, the William Hill World Darts Championship has an amazing global reach.”