The PDC has secured a new United States broadcast agreement with ESPN, putting Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and darts’ biggest events live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ from the US Darts Masters through to the World Championship.
The deal, announced around this week’s New York showcase at Madison Square Garden, gives American viewers live access to five headline PDC events: the US Darts Masters, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship.
That matters because the PDC has just staged another high-profile US weekend, with Humphries beating Littler 8-7 in the US Darts Masters final in front of a record American darts crowd. The product now has a stronger shop window in a market the PDC has long viewed as a growth priority.
ESPN Move Extends PDC’s American Push
According to the official Matchroom announcement, PDC chief executive Matt Porter said the agreement would help more US fans follow the sport’s biggest tournaments and players.
For Littler and Humphries, the timing is obvious. They are the two biggest weekly reference points in the sport, fresh from England’s World Cup of Darts win and another major final in New York. ESPN coverage now gives that rivalry repeat exposure beyond one US weekend.
The next major test of the deal comes at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, where the World Matchplay runs from July 18-26. If the PDC wants casual American sports fans to stay after the New York novelty, Littler and Humphries have been handed the platform to make that happen.
