ITV has announced a revamped broadcasting team for 2026 as part of a new agreement with the PDC. Luke Littler, the reigning world champion, is set to make his return to action after an impressive win at Ally Pally.
The network revealed the lineup for their upcoming coverage following the confirmation of a fresh three-year contract with the PDC. Viewers can expect televised matches from various darts events including the World Masters, UK Open, World Series of Darts Finals, European Championship, Players Championship Finals, and global World Series of Darts tournaments.
Pete Graves and Gabbie Partington from Sky Sports will lead the hosting duties, with Partington already gearing up for the upcoming World Series of Darts double-header in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The new punditry team on ITV features well-known names like Wayne Mardle and Glen Durrant, alongside Mark Webster and Chris Mason. Changes are also expected in the commentary booth, with Dan Dawson teaming up with talkSPORT commentator Mark Wilson while Ian Danter continues his role as a legendary broadcaster.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter expressed his delight at extending the partnership with ITV, emphasizing the importance of providing free-to-air coverage for popular darts events to UK fans. Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the network’s commitment to airing major darts tournaments for the UK audience.
The Bahrain Darts Masters is set to kick off soon, with 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 by adding HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu to the package, along with 135 channels and comprehensive coverage of the Premier League and EFL. Sky continues to be a major broadcaster of live sports, offering over 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL, Formula 1, darts, and golf.
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