Betway supports top PDC darts tour
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Betway has signed an agreement to sponsor the 2014 Betway Premier League Darts tournament, the UK & Ireland’s biggest indoor sporting event. The tournament, staged by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), the world’s leading darts organisation, is played over 16 consecutive Thursdays from February 6 through to May 22 in arenas across the UK and Ireland.
Darts enthusiasts from Aberdeen to Exeter and from Belfast to Brighton are able to enjoy the exciting event at their local venues, and, additionally, the tournament itself is televised and repeated on leading sports channel Sky Sports.
The PDC, chaired by leading sports promoter Barry Hearn, has successfully bought darts into the mainstream. Annually, the PDC pays out over £7m of prize money to players and provides a pathway for amateurs to make it into the big league of professional darts.
This agreement, which represents Betway’s first major sporting event sponsorship, will enhance Betway’s brand in on line sports betting, especially as the event itself has a wild card element, as new players face proven professionals, adding to the possibilities for those who like to bet on sports.
Bob Dutnall, executive director at Betway, said: “We are delighted to announce the sponsorship of the 2014 Premier League Darts tournament. This sporting event, which has international appeal, has become a top event in the darts sporting calendar. The sponsorship adds to our brand in online sports betting where we are building a leading position.”
PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Betway as the new title sponsor of Premier League Darts in our tenth season of this prestigious event. “This will be the biggest ever Premier League Darts season, with 100,000 fans set to see the world’s best ten players over the next four months, and with live worldwide television coverage the tournament will take the Betway brand worldwide.”
The Betway Premier League Darts season begins on Thursday February 6, when the opening league night is held at the Echo Arena in Liverpool (7pm). The ten competing players face each other once over the opening nine weeks before the bottom two players are relegated following “Judgement Night” in Cardiff on April 3. The remaining eight players then meet each other once more in the final six league nights, before the top four progress to the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on May 22 to compete for the £150,000 first prize.
Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen’s rivals for the Betway Premier League Darts title include six-time winner Phil Taylor, the 16-time World Champion, 2011 Premier League champion Gary Anderson, former World Champions Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld, Australia’s Simon Whitlock, English duo Dave Chisnall and Wes Newton and Scottish pair Robert Thornton and Peter Wright.
Betway Premier League Darts Schedule
Night One Feb 6 Echo Arena, Liverpool
Night Two Feb 13 BIC, Bournemouth
Night Three Feb 20 Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Night Four Feb 27 The Hydro, Glasgow
Night Five Mar 6 Westpoint Arena, Exeter
Night Six Mar 13 Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Night Seven Mar 20 First Direct Arena, Leeds
Night Eight Mar 27 The O2, Dublin
Night Nine Apr 3 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Night Ten Apr 10 Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Night 11 Apr 17 GE Gas & Oil Arena, Aberdeen
Night 12 Apr 24 Phones 4u Arena, Manchester
Night 13 May 1 NIA, Birmingham
Night 14 May 8 Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Night 15 May 15 The Brighton Centre
Play-Offs May 22 The O2, London
