BARRY HEARN Reckons Darts is Going Global

Phil Taylor's Ladbrokes PDC World Championship final victory over Michael van Gerwen was beamed live to South Africa for the first time.

Coverage from Alexandra Palace has also broken new ground this year in Eastern Europe and the USA.

PDC chairman Hearn says the top players stand to cash in on the new wave of interest, with prize money already set to be increased for the 2014 tournament.

Next year’s winner stands to collect £250,000 — a whopping 25 per cent hike on this year.

Hearn said: “The world seems to be opening up because 2012 has been a massive year for us.

“Apart from the fact that NBC are showing regular darts on their sports channel in America, we have had live coverage for the first time in Eastern Europe, through Hungary and Romania.

“These are entirely new areas for us, the Asian coverage is growing and it is becoming a really global sport.

“If you are new to the sport, you can follow the game quite quickly and the atmosphere the fans give, that comes through on the television coverage.

“I am finding that people are incredulous about the atmosphere — even more so than the darts.

“They cannot believe that there are thousands and thousands of people going crazy watching an indoor game that has always been associated with pubs, that has suddenly become working man’s golf. Darts has become that.

“We have been stuck in the traditional sports for years — football, cricket, rugby. But all of a sudden, darts has come up on the blindside and is creating atmospheres and TV ratings that surpass any other sport apart from Premier League football.

“We are hearing record audiences in Germany, Holland, the UK. This morning I had a phone call that we want to go live with the final in South Africa — we have never done anything in South Africa.

“People have looked down their nose for too long at traditional, working-class pastimes that suddenly become major sports.

“People don’t see Premier League footballers walking down the street because they are too busy driving their Ferraris. The appeal of this sport is that ordinary people are achieving their dreams and people can associate with that.

“It is cheap to play, there is no barrier for entry — you don’t have to be a member of a golf club or have an expensive set of clubs.

“All you need is ability and dedication — but we have the characters who are transgressing the normal barriers of sport because everyone can associate with it.”

‘The Power’ Taylor, 16 times the world champ, has gone from the dole to being a multi-millionaire thanks to his talent with the tungsten tips.

Hearn said: “I don’t think the bubble will burst. I’ve always felt we were a work in motion, a jigsaw being put together and over this tournament a few more pieces of the jigsaw have gone into place.”

Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
Tel.: 86 592 5129696; Fax: 86 592 5129797
Email: sales@chinatungsten.com
Tungsten News & Tungsten Prices, 3G Version: http://3g.chinatungsten.com
Tungsten News & Tungsten Prices, WML Version: http://m.chinatungsten.com

• < Prev
• Next >