ITV has officially announced their revamped lineup for 2026 after striking a fresh agreement with the PDC. Luke Littler, the reigning world champion, will make his return to the field tonight following his remarkable triumph at Ally Pally.
As the coverage gears up, ITV has revealed the programming changes that will take place with their newly secured three-year partnership with the PDC. Viewers can expect to see matches from prestigious events like the World Masters, UK Open, World Series of Darts Finals, European Championship, Players Championship Finals, and various global World Series of Darts tournaments.
The hosting duties will be led by Sky Sports’ Pete Graves and Gabbie Partington, who will kick off their coverage with the upcoming World Series of Darts double-header in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The punditry team on ITV includes renowned figures such as five-time World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle and former Premier League champion Glen Durrant. Adding to the lineup are former PDC star Mark Webster and ex-World Matchplay semi-finalist Chris Mason. Changes are also in store for the commentary booth.
Dan Dawson will team up with talkSPORT commentator Mark Wilson, while veteran broadcaster Ian Danter will continue to play a key role. Reflecting on the extended partnership, PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter expressed his delight, emphasizing the significance of providing free-to-air coverage of popular darts events to UK fans amidst the growing excitement surrounding the sport.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the network’s commitment to expanding and prolonging their live darts coverage for UK audiences. The collaboration with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is set to continue until 2028.
Darts enthusiasts won’t have to wait long for the next action-packed event as the Bahrain Darts Masters kicks off this evening, featuring reigning champion Stephen Bunting defending his title against Ryusei Azemoto. Meanwhile, Luke Littler will face off against Paul Lim in the opening round of the competition.
In other news, Sky has enhanced its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu, along with 135 channels and comprehensive coverage of the Premier League and EFL. Sky’s extensive broadcast lineup features over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL, Formula 1, darts, and golf.
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