FOLLOWING the record-breaking success of the 2013 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship, the PDC are delighted to confirm that the first prize at next year's tournament will be £250,000 - the highest individual prize in the sport's history.
This year's Ladbrokes World Darts Championship, which culminated in Phil Taylor's thrilling comeback win over Michael van Gerwen on New Year's Day, proved hugely successful both on and off the oche.
The tournament, which featured 72 players from 21 countries and paid out over £1 million in prize money, saw two nine-dart finishes for the first time in World Championship history as Dean Winstanley and Michael van Gerwen both achieved the feat.
Phil Taylor's win saw him claim his 16th World Championship title, extending his record as the sport's most successful player.
Those achievements on the oche were mirrored in the incredible worldwide interest which the tournament generated throughout 15 days of play.
Sky Sports experienced record viewing figures throughout the event, culminating in a peak audience of 1.5 million during the final between Taylor and van Gerwen, which averaged 1.2 million fans, and reached over 10 million fans during the course of the event.
Broacasters RTL7 in the Netherlands and Sport1 in Germany also reported record-breaking viewing figures for their live coverage of the event, which also proved hugely popular in Australia on Fox Sports, via Sky New Zealand, OSN across the Middle East and in Eastern Europe through Sport1.
In addition, the PDC welcomed a record crowd of over 45,000 to London's Alexandra Palace throughout the 15-day event.
"The 2013 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship has been the most successful tournament in the sport's history," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"The superb entertainment provided by the players has been matched by the incredible response of both the fans who attended the event live at Alexandra Palace and the millions who watched around the world.
"We've been amazed with the reaction since the World Championship ended last week and the interest it has created worldwide.
"Following the success of this year's event, I'm delighted to be able to confirm that we'll be increasing the first prize of the 2014 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship to £250,000 - a record for darts and a further indication of the unprecedented rewards on offer for players within the Professional Darts Corporation!"