TELETEXT HOLIDAYS will enter the world of Darts in 2011 as the Official Travel Partner of the 888.com Premier League Darts after signing a year-long deal with the Professional Darts Corporation.
Alongside the partnership, which will be launched when the 888.com Premier League Darts begins this Thursday, a team of three professional players will also be sponsored by Teletext Holidays.
As the Official Travel Partner for the Premier League Darts, which is shown live on Sky Sports HD and will welcome over 80,000 fans across 15 nights, Teletext Holidays will have a high profile presence at the live events.
With arena advertising on the big screens, promotional literature, website presence and social media activity, the sponsorship is designed to strengthen the Teletext Holidays brand within its target market.
The Premier League - which features eight star players, including the 15-time World Champion Phil Taylor, current World Champion Adrian Lewis and Holland's Raymond van Barneveld - kicks off on The O2 in London on Thursday February 10, when reigning champion Taylor faces Lewis.
The event then travels as far afield as Belfast, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Exeter amongst 14 league nights touring around the UK before returning to the capital for the Play-Offs at Wembley on May 19.
In addition, Teletext Holidays will sponsor Holland's former Lakeside Champion Jelle 'The Matador' Klaasen, Derby's Jamie 'Jabba' Caven and Bristol's rising star Steve 'Bomber' Brown (left).
With branded Teletext Holidays shirts, the trio will play in events around the world resulting in ongoing brand exposure on Sky Sports and other national media and the added incentive of attempting to win a place in next year's Premier League.
Mark Bloxham, marketing director, Teletext Holidays, said: "The audience for darts is absolutely spot on for our core business.
"The PDC has a loyal following which is growing, with around 200,000 fans attending live events last year and televised on Sky Sports, with an audience second only to football.
"With live events in big arenas up and down the country from Glasgow to Exeter, darts is a sport which is gaining momentum and attracting new fans every year.
"There is now almost three times more television coverage than there was five years ago. Media coverage of the events last year reached just over 2.3 million adults, a six percent increase on the previous year.
"We've re-booted the brand this year with a new website, apps for smartphones and upped our digital television presence on Freeview 101 and move into internet-connected TV.
"We're stepping up our marketing to support the new-look brand and this is a great value deal which complements our other activity and keeps us front of mind with a perfect target audience."
At www.teletextholidays.co.uk people can search and compare prices from millions of holiday offers, including packages, flights, hotel and villa deals from over 200 of the UK's leading travel companies.
Digital TV viewers can access Teletext Holidays via Freeview channel 101 and anyone with a new internet connected television can find the Teletext Holidays 'widget' on screen.
A daily summary of the best travel offers from Teletext Holidays is now available as a free application for iPhone or iPod touch owners. A new i-pad application will be available early 2011.
Tickets for the 888.com Premier League Darts at The O2 in London are still available and can be purchased on 0844 856 0202 or via www.theo2.co.uk.