Why Televise Darts?

Isn’t Darts a game that you play in the pub while tossing back a few cold ones? Who watches Darts on TV anyway? ESPN has gone crazy!! What is next the world series of marbles? Questions like these have been floating around the Internet by confused Americans lately. Not a lot of information has been given to the public and they aren’t very aware of Darts as a sport. But that’s all about to change, in deed, it has begun.

Allow me to present some facts and figures about the sport of Darts. I’m sure many of you will be surprised at how big of a draw Darts is worldwide.

The National Sporting Goods Association tracks sports participation analysis. During the year 2000 over 17 million people participated in Darts right here in the USA. Sounds like a lot right? Well it is. Consider that darts ranked higher in total participation then Football, Soccer, Baseball, Skating, Tennis, Skiing, and Martial Arts. And Darts was able to accomplish this feat without being represented in the elementary or secondary schools athletic curriculum. Based on participation and potential for growth I'd say Darts seems a good bet and an excellent opportunity to gain early market share in an emerging market.

Okay so a lot of people play Darts, but who is going to watch it on TV? Certainly this figure cannot be high enough to deserve a prime time slot here in America right? Well, lets take a look at some numbers of where darts has been televised. The 2006 World Championships was shown in over 80 countries and in over 100 million homes. In Holland for instance, over 5 million people tuned in to watch the finals. That’s 1 out of every 3 of the entire population! Can you imagine the ratings if you translate those figures to Americans? It would be the highest rated show of all time...

Because Darts is not a highly athletic sport some people call its legitimacy as a sport into question. While it is true Darts does not require a great deal of strength or speed it does have heavy requirements in other areas. The accuracy required in a repetitive motion is almost unmatched by other sports. It is a sport that judges performance in millimeters rather then feet. And the professional dart player must maintain this standard over long hours in heat that often exceeds 100 degrees. Top professional darts players practice routinely up to 8 hours a day. I don’t think you will find the same practice habits following an NFL or NBA player year round. And these players push themselves without the aid of teams, coaches, and trainers. They are self-motivators... true sportsman.

The demanding mix of skill, coordination, focus, endurance, and dedication makes Darts one of the most demanding sports available. And yet because of the lowered limitation of physical size and strength it remains a sport open to a broader range of the populace. No longer are million dollar sports prizes earmarked for only those born of a certain given stature. With Darts hard work, precision, and mental focus are the trademarks of a champion.

Fans marvel at the feats of their sporting heroes. Darts offers a new face to the public. A face that relates to a wider range of people. Will America fall in love with Darts? That’s still to be seen. I think there is a good base of people that are sick of paying to watch millionaire athletes skip training camp and shoot steroids. Perhaps they are ready to cheer for the everyday guy who got there on sheer determination and hard work. Only time will tell but I remain hopeful...