PDC Competition in Blackpool to be Sponsored by Betfair

Sports tournament will be televised to UK customers on Sky Professional Darts Corporation's (PDC) World Matchplay tournament in Blackpool will be sponsored by the online betting exchange Betfair as the new title sponsor. The GBP 400 000 tournament is now titled Betfair World Matchplay. "I firmly believe that the 2012 Betfair World Matchplay will be the best yet in the tournament's history, with record sales of tickets accompanied by a fantastic line-up of players,” said PDC chairman Barry Hearn. "We're excited to sponsor the Betfair World Matchplay at a time when darts continues to grow in popularity as a sport. It's fast become one of the most watched events on television and we look forward to providing fans with all the excitement only the Betfair World Matchplay can deliver," added Matt Robinson, Betfair's international director. The tournament will be held from 21 - 29 July 2012 and broadcasted to UK customers via Sky.