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BetMGM will become the new sponsor of Premier League Darts for 2024 after an agreement was announced on Thursday.
BetMGM and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) have agreed that the operator will replace Cazoo as the new title sponsor of the “biggest roadshow event” in darts.
With total prize money of £1m (€1.2m/$1.3m), eight players will compete across 17 nights, primarily at venues across the UK and Ireland. Rotterdam, Berlin and Dublin will also host events ahead of the play-offs in London in May.
The partnership between the PDC and BetMGM follows the 2024 World Darts Championship. Wednesday’s final became the most-watched non-football event in Sky Sports history with 3.75 million viewers.
PDC managing director Matt Porter said: “The Premier League will reach huge live audiences and a huge global television audience within four months and we are delighted to welcome BetMGM as our new title sponsor.”
Sam Behar, UK Director of BetMGM, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with such an exciting and entertaining event as Premier League Darts and look forward to an action-packed 2024 for both BetMGM and the PDC.”
BetMGM’s expansion in the UK
This entry into darts by BetMGM is the latest example of the operator looking to expand into the UK market.
In 2023, BetMGM launched in the UK as the start of an international expansion strategy. Interestingly, this move was made in collaboration with LeoVegas and not the troubled giant Entain. This means the company competes with Entain’s UK brands, which include Ladbrokes and Coral.
This is despite BetMGM being a 50:50 joint venture in the US owned by MGM Resorts and Entain.
BetMGM’s UK launch was supported by a deal with English Premier League club Newcastle United, which benefited from an extensive presence at the club’s St James’ Park stadium. BetMGM also recruited Hollywood star Chris Rock to star in a number of marketing campaigns.
BetMGM: A growing emphasis on sports
As part of its expansion strategy, BetMGM has placed a particular focus on esports, with darts being its latest target.
The operator recently announced an extension of its agreement with the NHL to continue to be its official sports betting partner.
BetMGM wants to exert its influence particularly in Las Vegas. CEO Adam Greenblatt recently claimed BetMGM will “unlock” Las Vegas in 2024.
The first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in the city attracted 300,000 fans in November 2023. BetMGM took three times as many bets as any other F1 race in its history.
The Super Bowl will also be played in February at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, after the NFL franchise relocated in 2020. The MLB’s Oakland Athletics also plan to follow the Raiders in moving to Las Vegas.
