Yeah I know Chris just having a bit of what I perceive the young people to call 'bants' heh. 'Spose I should've said BBC more accurately

This definitely feels like Barry Hearn attempting to reach an even wider, more casual audience who don't have Sky and don't venture far enough down the EPG for ITV4, and thus may not be aware who most (or any) of the players are. For hardcore fans it just sounds like yet another tournament with no real USP except it being on the Beeb.

Looks like today is both a good day and a bad day for the overall darts fan ( which I consider myself to be )

Indeed, this seems like a bit of a "toe in the water" for both the BBC and the PDC to establish whether the latter's form of darts and players will appeal to the former's viewers.

If it does, then perhaps the BBC might subsequently get some of the tournaments hitherto shown on ITV4 - and perhaps even a major if Sky don't decide to hold onto their full compliment when the deal comes up for renewal in 2018.

The PDC hold all the big cards now with coverage on the BBC, ITV and Sky.

I'd like to see Mason as the "expert". I would suggest that Matt Smith would be the most likely presenter - he used to do the job for ITV, and also did a good job for the Eurosport coverage of the German Masters Snooker. He must be freelance now, as he's also working for the BBC as a sports presenter in news bulletins.

As for commentators, will the BBC tempt John Gwynne away from Eurosport coverage of the BDO minor tournaments? Hope not - his constant punning and reminiscing does my head in! Hopefully some of the usual PDC commentating crew will be employed.

Could be interesting.

The PL seems to be just a three month long round-robin prize share. Same old same old, very strange results, struggle to believe it's not fixed up to a point, and this doesn't help http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/35024363 regardless of the supposed reason for it.

Whether chucking effectively eight of the ten PL players into a quickfire tournament will do anything other than allow them to split even more money remains to be seen.

Hearn wanting to get PDC onto mainstream TV is a no-brainer. Regardless of the money involved, Sky is always a minority channel as it's subscription only. Free-to-air to the masses takes viewing figures to a whole new level.

Bad news for the BDO but, at some point, things were inevitably going to come to a head and the PDC juggernaut would always win-out in the end, and the BBC has been sidelining the BDO Worlds for years.

Robert Thornton has been ruled out of tonight's action through illness see here: http://www.skysports.com/darts.

I love the Peter Wright entrance I love the music as well

Pleased for wade, hope he beats Taylor later too,

Cannot believe RVB, 3 darts at a double for a 5-2 lead missed then further chances missed against a below par Wright and he loses the match, nuts!

Back to his regular form. Last week was a one off

How does the format work when Robert Thornton misses a week and James Wade has to play his match Which player gets the points Thornton or Wade

d
Wade did Thornton will play twice on week 8 to catch up as Anderson will on week 7

Class from Taylor

He's having a good week. Won the UK Open Qualifier at the weekend beating MVG in the final.

Sky have gone back to that awful camera angle for when players go downstairs.

Funny how Wadey played his best and lost to Taylor who looked like the Taylor of old.

Good night of Darts I love the Prem league.


It's my favorite walk on, and I love watching him too

Just watching the snooker shootout on ITV4 and noting do this event they have walk on girls, unlike the BBC coverage, it made me wonder if the PDC will have to ditch the walk on girls when they have their tournament on the BBC in the autumn...the Beeb would consider it too un-PC / sexist?

No the BBC have confirmed it is happening. Here are the walk on girls

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...98_468x341.jpg

Brilliant 😂😂😂😂

Anyone know if the Dutch Masters is live this weekend?

On PDC TV and usual betting sites I believe

Ok Cheers

Another trophy for the MVG sideboard. He wins the Dutch Masters beating Daryl Gurney 6-2 in the final.

yeh another title for mvg 112 average well played gurney on a great weekend

MvG at times is playing a different sport.