THE Professional Darts Corporation are delighted to confirm that William Hill have signed an extension to their current contract to remain as title sponsors of the William Hill World Darts Championship until 2020.
Following the huge success of William Hill's first year as the tournament's title sponsors and the unprecedented expectation ahead of the 2015/16 event, which kicks off at Alexandra Palace on Thursday, the new deal sees the leading betting company extend their commitment to darts' biggest championship.
The 2014/15 William Hill World Darts Championship featured an epic 13-set final between eventual winner Gary Anderson and the legendary Phil Taylor, but also broke records for viewing figures with its worldwide TV coverage.
In addition, four million fans watched coverage through the dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel throughout the tournament, with the broadcaster again devoting a channel for the duration of this year's event.
A record 66,000 tickets have been sold for this year's tournament, which runs from December 17-January 3, and the £1.5 million event has been given a further boost following the extension of William Hill's contract.
"William Hill have been great supporters of the PDC in recent years and it's fantastic that they will remain as title sponsors of the World Darts Championship for at least the next five years," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"The tournament has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and with record ticket sales and a record prize fund, the forthcoming William Hill World Darts Championship promises to be the biggest and best ever!
"We look forward to working with William Hill over the coming years to continue that growth for our sport's greatest event."
Having seen an additional £250,000 added to this year's prize fund, the tournament's prize fund will continue to grow through each year of the William Hill deal to over £2 million in 2020, with £500,000 to the winner.
William Hill Chief Executive Officer James Henderson said: "I'm delighted that we've extended our sponsorship with the PDC for a further five years.
"The William Hill World Darts Championship is now one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, and one that takes centre stage over the festive period."
The 2015/16 William Hill World Darts Championship will take place from December 17-January 3 at London's Alexandra Palace, and will be broadcast live on the Sky Sports Darts channel.
William Hill World Championship Prize Fund Increase
|
|
2014/2015 |
2015/2016 |
|
Winner |
£250,000 |
£300,000 |
|
Runner-Up |
£120,000 |
£150,000 |
|
Semi-Finalists |
£60,000 |
£70,000 |
|
Quarter-Finalists |
£35,000 |
£35,000 |
|
Third Round Losers |
£18,000 |
£22,000 |
|
Second Round Losers |
£12,000 |
£15,000 |
|
First Round Losers |
£8,000 |
£10,000 |
|
Preliminary Round Losers |
£3,500 |
£4,250 |
|
Total |
£1,250,000 |
£1,500,000 |
* Prize funds for future years to be confirmed in due course