Professional Darts Corporation

People play a game with small darts.

They throw them at a board. Some players made a new group. They called it the PDC.

This group holds big contests. Many people watch them on TV. The games feel like a big party.

Fans sing and dance to music. They wear funny clothes and face paint. Some fans even hold up signs.

It is a fun sport to watch. Do you like to play games?

The Professional Darts Corporation, or PDC, is a big darts group. It started in 1992. A group of top players split from the BDO. They wanted more TV games and new sponsors. They first called their group the WDC.

Today, the PDC holds many big contests. These include the World Darts Championship and the Premier League. They even have their own world rankings. Eddie Hearn is the chairman of the PDC.

Watching darts can feel like a big party. Many fans watch on TV channels like Sky Sports or ITV. The crowds are very loud and fun. They sing songs and dance to music during breaks. Some fans wear crazy costumes or face paint. They even hold up funny signs to cheer for players.

TV cameras show the game in cool ways. Some cameras are tiny and sit inside the dartboard. This lets you see the darts fly toward the numbers. Other cameras show what the players see. This makes the sport very exciting to watch from home.

The Professional Darts Corporation, or PDC, is a major organization for professional darts. It is based in the United Kingdom and brings together the best players in the world. The PDC holds many famous competitions like the World Darts Championship and the Premier League. It also runs the World Matchplay and the Grand Slam. These events help players earn rankings based on how well they play. Eddie Hearn serves as the chairman of the PDC today.

Watching a PDC event feels like being at a huge, loud party. Fans often act like a crowd at a football match. They sing songs and dance to music during the breaks in play. Some people wear face paint or silly costumes to show their spirit. They even hold up funny signs with puns to cheer for their favorite players. During breaks on Sky Sports, fans often dance to the song "Chase the Sun" by Planet Funk. On ITV, the song "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis is often played.

Television makes the game very exciting to watch from home. Broadcasters use many special cameras to show the action. Some cameras are tiny and sit right inside the dartboard near the number 16. This lets viewers see the darts flying toward the board in slow motion. There are even "player cams" that show what the player sees. Some cameras are floating to capture the energy of the cheering crowd. In 2008, Sky began showing these matches in High Definition.

The PDC has a very interesting history that began with a big split. In the 1980s, darts was very popular on TV. However, by 1989, there were very few televised games left. Some players felt the British Darts Organisation, or BDO, was not doing enough. They wanted more sponsors and more television coverage. In January 1992, 16 professional players decided to start their own group. They called it the World Darts Council, or WDC. Tommy Cox and Dick Allix used their own money to help start it.

The group went through many legal battles to grow. In 1993, WDC players wore special badges on their sleeves. The BDO told them to take the badges off. The players eventually went to court to settle their disagreements. On June 30, 1997, they reached an agreement called a Tomlin order. This deal allowed players to choose which tournaments they wanted to play in. The WDC then changed its name to the Professional Darts Corporation. This helped the sport grow and reach many more people around the world.

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is a major professional darts organization based in the United Kingdom. It manages high-level competitions and maintains its own world rankings for players. These rankings are determined by how well players perform in specific tournaments. The PDC is responsible for several prestigious events, including the annual PDC World Darts Championship and the World Matchplay. Other major competitions include the World Grand Prix, the UK Open, the Premier League, and the Grand Slam. Currently, sports promoter Eddie Hearn serves as the chairman of the PDC.

The organization grew from a significant split in the sport during the early 1990s. In the 1980s, darts experienced a massive boom in popularity. Many tournaments were televised on BBC and ITV, allowing top players to earn a full-time living. However, television coverage steadily declined by 1989. The only remaining televised event was the annual Embassy World Championship. Many players felt the governing body, the British Darts Organisation (BDO), was not doing enough to find sponsors or secure more TV slots. BDO chairman Olly Croft refused to guarantee more televised tournaments or let players organize their own.

In January 1992, 16 professional players decided to take action. This group included every active BDO world champion at the time. They formed a new organization called the World Darts Council (WDC). Sports promoters Tommy Cox and Dick Allix used their own money to fund this new group. They even hired a PR consultant to improve the public image of the game. At the 1993 Embassy World Championship, WDC players wore new insignia on their sleeves. The BDO ordered them to remove these badges, leading the WDC players to stop playing in the Embassy tournament altogether.

The conflict led to a long and expensive legal battle between the two bodies. The dispute was eventually resolved on June 30, 1997, through an out-of-court settlement known as a Tomlin order. This legal agreement gave players the freedom to choose which open events they wanted to play in. As part of the settlement, the WDC changed its name to the Professional Darts Corporation. The PDC recognized the World Darts Federation (WDF) as the global governing body. It also recognized the BDO as the governing body for darts within the United Kingdom. The agreement aimed to promote the freedom of individual players to participate in open competition.

Despite the agreement, several famous players moved from the BDO to the PDC. In 2006, Raymond van Barneveld reached the BDO final and switched to the PDC within weeks. He went on to win the 2007 PDC World Championship, even though the Tomlin order suggested he might be ineligible. Other players like Jelle Klaasen and Mervyn King also moved to the PDC. In January 2012, the PDC invited four BDO world championship semi-finalists to join them. This included Ted Hankey, along with Dean Winstanley, Tony West, Steve West, and Stuart Kellett. These moves helped expand the talent pool within the PDC.

Television coverage has transformed the way people experience darts. Sky Sports signed a deal to cover three PDC tournaments exclusively each year. Unlike the BBC, which showed highlights or selected matches, Sky Sports provides massive amounts of live coverage. It is not uncommon to see over ten hours of live darts in a single day. Broadcasters use advanced technology to make the sport more exciting for viewers. They use "flight cams" to show the path of a dart in slow motion. They even placed a tiny camera inside the dartboard near the number 16 to show the darts flying toward it. Other innovations include "player cams" on clothing and floating cameras to capture the crowd.

The atmosphere at PDC events is very energetic and social. Fans often act like a crowd at a football match, using chants and songs. They wear face paint, crazy costumes, or even dress up as their favorite players. Spectators often hold up humorous placards featuring puns about the players. Music plays frequently during commercial breaks to keep the energy high. On Sky Sports, the song "Chase the Sun" by Planet Funk is a favorite among fans. On ITV, the song "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis is often used. This lively environment helps the PDC market darts as a fun "night out" for all types of people.