Sky Sports ‘in DANGER of losing darts coverage as Netflix and Amazon fight to secure TV rights’… as Barry Hearn ‘demands millions’ for new deal

Sky Sports are at risk of losing their coverage of the PDC World Darts Championship, while Netflix and Amazon Prime are keen to secure TV rights to the annual showpiece, according to reports.

Next month’s World Cup will be the last festive tournament at Alexandra Palace under Sky’s existing seven-year contract.

The highly anticipated tournament, which saw Luke Littler burst onto the scene before losing to Luke Humphries in last year’s thrilling world final, has soared in popularity in recent years and is now set to attract several broadcasters and streaming giants ahead of the PDCs. upcoming rights auction.

As part of the current deal, Sky is currently paying around £12 million a year to secure 60 days of live darts, including the Christmas showpiece.

According to the Telegraph, Sky is willing to double the rights fee to a figure of around £25 million, although this is likely to fall well short of PDC chairman Barry Hearn’s demands.

Earlier this year, Hearn warned Sky that they needed to ‘raise the bar’ to secure rights in the future. He told the newspaper he valued a new deal at around £45 million a year, more than three times more than the existing contract.

Sky Sports is at risk of losing the PDC Darts World Championship, while Netflix and Amazon are keen to secure the rights to the annual event. Pictured: Luke Humphries winning last year’s event

Teen sensation Luke Littler burst onto the scene during last year’s exciting World Championship

Barry Hearn has warned Sky that they must ‘raise the bar’ to retain PDC rights at auction

While Sky is reluctant to accept a fee higher than double the current deal, interest from Amazon and Netflix has reportedly led the PDC to believe a bumper deal is achievable.

It is understood that the global streaming companies are particularly interested in the darts event due to its favorable position on the calendar, which is broadcast over both Christmas and New Year.

Given Littler’s meteoric rise since his debut PDC World Championship last year, darts is also starting to attract a younger audience and the current demographics of the subscription services.

Amazon Prime already owns the rights to several Premier League matches in football and will broadcast every top-flight match on Boxing Day and December 27, in addition to other matches next month.

In September, Hearn said: “We owe Sky a huge, huge debt. They stayed with us in the beginning and loyalty is a big part of our business.

‘But I also have a responsibility to players to maximize their income. Some interesting conversations will follow.

“Compare us to anyone else. Show me what you pay for rugby, league, golf and tell me why I’m not getting the same or more. I really hope Sky raises the bar.”