Getty Images
- Paddy Power, BetMGM, Betfred, Boylesports, Ladbrokes, BetVictor, Mr Vegas and StarGames among gambling brands that partner with PDC
- PDC product “works for betting companies” says Porter
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is “being creative” in its efforts to diversify its sponsorship portfolio, according to chief executive Matt Porter, but will continue to work extensively with betting brands, which are “queuing up” to be involved in the sport.
Porter was speaking on the SportsPro Podcast ahead of the start of the PDC World Darts Championship on 11th December, a tournament that now boasts an array of sponsors from different sectors, including beer brand Fosters and food delivery platform Uber Eats.
The arrival of new stars such as defending world champion Luke Littler, combined with high-quality coverage from pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports, has fuelled a surge in darts’ popularity and credibility, helping attract new brands to the PDC. Still, the sport remains dominated by gambling sponsors.
Indeed, Paddy Power recently agreed to continue as title sponsor of the World Darts Championship until 2031, while other betting brands such as BetMGM, Betfred Boylesports, Ladbrokes, BetVictor, Mr Vegas and StarGames also partner with PDC events.
Although Porter acknowledged that the PDC’s partnership slate is broader than ever, he emphasised that gambling remains such a lucrative sector that it will continue to play an integral role in the organisation’s commercial strategy.
“We’ve got a wide range of partners [including] a hotel partner, a tyre partner, a financial services partner, there’s half a dozen or so [partners] you will see on the set when you watch our events,” he said.
“We’ve got a limited amount of inventory for that. So now our commercial team are being creative and putting together packages that are either digital, activation only, just different from the standard, traditional branding model.”
“But you have to look at it commercially. The product works for betting companies and betting companies are queuing up for it, so we have to service the event first and foremost.
“Whilst we are diversifying our sponsorship portfolio, we’re always very conscious of our core audience and our roots. We know that the [gambling] industry works with us and we’ve got some fantastic partners.
“Look at the way Paddy Power amplify the World Championship. [There’s] BetMGM, Betfred, Boylesports, Ladbrokes, we’ve got well established companies from that industry who all bring something to the table. We wouldn’t work with them if they didn’t.”
Darts can be paired with soccer as a sport with deep ties to the gambling sector, where betting brands are prominent at events and across broadcasts, and placing a wager is, for many fans, part of the experience.
In an effort to address concerns that betting and soccer have become too intertwined, Premier League clubs have agreed to outlaw betting sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts from next season.
Anti-gambling campaigners, however, view the move as largely tokenistic, noting that betting firms will still be able to advertise elsewhere across the English soccer top flight and throughout the lower leagues.
While Porter is keen to avoid overreliance on gambling sponsorship, he believes the link between darts and betting is a natural one, and said the PDC had no plans to put limits on betting-focused deals or reduce exposure for gambling brands.
“I think it’s an ongoing evolution,” said Porter. “We’re certainly not one of those sports that are going to come out and say, ‘We don’t want to have betting partners anymore’. That’s just not going to be our model.
“It would be counterproductive for both us and for them.”
Combining richer content, in-depth data and exclusive community benefits, SportsPro+ is your VIP pass into the global sports industry. Discover more here.