PRIZE MONEY on the Professional Darts Corporation circuit will be increased to £2 million in 2007.
The PDC have increased prize funds for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship and Stan James World Matchplay in the past 12 months.
All five major PDC tournaments, along with the Holsten Premier League Darts, will now enjoy increases in prize money over the next 12 months.
The PDC can also announce a 25-event Pro Tour, which will commence in January 2007 and ensure £500,000 in prize money for players.
"This is tremendous news for all professional darts players," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"We have shown our commitment to rewarding players for the hard work they put in to reaching the highest levels of our sport, and the PDC Pro Tour will give all serious darts players the chance to be truly professional.
"The Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the biggest tournament in the history of darts last year, with a £100,000 first prize, and we will be increasing the prize fund to £560,000 over the next two years.
"The prize funds for the Stan James World Matchplay and SkyBet World Grand Prix will move up to £200,000, and further increases will also take place for the UK Open and Las Vegas Desert Classic.
"On top of these televised tournaments, we are committed to increasing the number of PDC Pro Tour events to at least 25 from January 2007 onwards.
"The UK Open Regional Finals and PDPA Players Championship events already form a large part of this plan, but we will also be able to continue spreading professional darts worldwide with big-money events.
"Every PDC Pro Tour tournament will have a minimum prize fund of £20,000.
"There really has never been a better time to be a darts professional, and it gives me great pride that the PDC can offer these opportunities for players."
|
2005 |
2006 |
2007 | |
|
£ |
£ |
£ | |
| Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship |
500,000 |
532,000 |
560,000 |
| Stan James World Matchplay |
120,000 |
150,000 |
200,000 |
| Sky Bet World Grand Prix |
100,000 |
130,000 |
200,000 |
| UK Open Televised Finals |
124,000 |
124,000 |
150,000 |
| Las Vegas Desert Classic |
100,000 |
100,000 |
125,000 |
| Holsten Premier League |
150,000 |
167,500 |
265,000 |
| Total |
£1,094,000 |
£1,203,500 |
£1,500,000 |
|
(+10%) |
(+24.53%) | ||
| PDC Pro Tour - 25 Events Minimum |
500,000 | ||
| Prize Money Total |
£2,000,000 |