Most fans of any sport or hobby enjoy not only practicing it but also knowing some background information and following the events in the universe of their passion of choice. So, in this week’s post, let’s take a look at the famous PDC!
The PDC, standing for Professional Darts Corporation, is the most important professional body in the world of darts.
Created in 1992, and initially known as the World Darts Council, it is the present-day leader with as much as over £10 circulating in their worldwide tournaments circuit.
To make it short, the PDC was established following an internal disagreement about the management of the British Darts Organization (BDO).
In 1992, a group of 16 top players under the leadership of sports promoters Tommy Cox and Dick Allix decided to separate from the BDO and take darts on a new level, by attracting new sponsors and increasing TV coverage.
The last unified world championship to take place was the Embassy World Championship in 1993.
The UK Masters was the first event organized by the newly born organization (still known in October 1992 as WDC), whereas the first World Championship took place in 1993-94 during the end of the year festive period.
Following a legal battle with the BDO, the new organization dropped the WDC label to take on the now worldwide famous name: PDC.
The historical partnership between PDC and Sky Sports also started then, during that first World Championship. Currently, Sky Sports broadcasts six live yearly tournaments for the benefit of Irish and British fans, but PDC competitions and events are also broadcasted in Australia, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, and the US (One World Sports).
Since its beginning, the PDC took to the core innovation and developing the sport’s outreach.
They have changed the way in which professional tournaments are staged, in an effort to attract a wider, younger and more gender diverse audience. Songs are being played at break time, such as Planet Funk’s 2000 single “Chase the Sun’’. They make fans dance and become cult tracks in the darts universe. Politicians, musicians, football players, boxers and other sporting personalities can be seen at their events.
Players entering the oche have their own signature music, pyrotechnics and smoke machines often make their part in transforming the competition into a thrilling show similar to those in boxing or wrestling. So, watching or going to a PDC event is not only about the game, but also about the show and its “night out with mates” atmosphere.
Since 2001, the PDC is under promoter Barry Hearn’s direction. As the Chairman, he works closely with a specialists’ team to further develop and spread professional darts worldwide.
The annual PDC World Darts Championship, the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, UK Open, Premier League, and Grand Slam are all notable events to be followed by all big fans.
Besides the competitions it holds, the PDC has also established its own players rankings based on their performances.
The Grand Slam of Darts (since 2007) and the Premier League (since 2005) are just two of the events the PDC introduced.
As more and more people all over the world are falling in love with this sport, a growing number of international players qualify to compete in the sport's biggest event, the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London. At the same time, attesting to this growing international fervor, 32 nations now take part in the World Cup of Darts.
Through actions such as launching the Qualifying School, Development Tour and World Youth Championship, the PDC takes a proactive approach into ensuring a growing respect and professionalism for darts in the larger world of sports, as well as a dynamic pool of younger players to keep the game on.
For a complete list of all PDC events and tournaments, players ranking, tickets or information about how you can become a member, the PDC website is the place to go!
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