Finding a darts match on TV used to mean flicking past a grainy secondary channel and hoping for the best. These days, the schedule is split across Sky Sports, ITV4, and a growing lineup of streaming services, and the question “what channel is darts on tonight?” can have half a dozen answers.
Primary broadcasters: Sky Sports, ITV4 ·
Streaming options: NOW TV, Sky Go, ITVX ·
Next major championship: PDC World Darts Championship 2025 (Dec 15 – Jan 3) ·
Tonight’s matches: Check Sky Sports Action or ITV4 schedule
Quick snapshot
- Sky Sports is the primary UK broadcaster for Premier League Darts and the PDC World Championship (The Bierkeller (darts rights guide))
- ITV4 broadcasts PDC majors including the World Championship and Grand Slam of Darts (The Bierkeller (ITV coverage))
- NOW TV offers live streaming of Sky Sports channels without a contract (NOW TV (streaming service))
- The PDC World Darts Championship is held annually at Alexandra Palace, London (PDC (official site))
- Exact start time for the Littler vs Van Veen match, if scheduled for tonight (Sky Sports (darts schedule page))
- Whether ITV4 will broadcast every session of the World Championship or only selected matches (Sky Sports (darts schedule page))
- What specifically triggered the reported row between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen (Sky Sports (darts schedule page))
- May 2026: Premier League Darts continues with Birmingham (May 14) and Sheffield (May 21), both on Sky Sports (Sky Sports (Premier League Darts schedule))
- Dec 2025 – Jan 2026: PDC World Darts Championship 2025 at Ally Pally (PDC (championship date))
- Planned: ITV announces new-look darts presenter lineup for 2026 season (PDC (ITV announcement))
- Premier League Darts play-offs (dates TBC) — likely on Sky Sports Main Event (Sky Sports (Premier League Darts))
- World Matchplay 2026 — exclusive to Sky Sports (The Bierkeller (Sky exclusives))
- UK Open 2026 — broadcast on ITV4 (The Bierkeller (ITV tournaments))
Four broadcast facts, one pattern: the divide between Sky’s exclusive events and ITV’s shared slate is sharper than ever, and that split determines what you can watch on any given night.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary broadcasters | Sky Sports, ITV4 (The Bierkeller (broadcaster list)) |
| Streaming options | NOW TV, Sky Go, ITVX (NOW TV (official site)) |
| Next major championship | PDC World Darts Championship 2025 (Dec 15 – Jan 3) (PDC (event calendar)) |
| Tonight’s matches | Check Sky Sports Action or ITV4 schedule |
| Sky Sports exclusive events | Premier League Darts, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts |
What TV channel is darts on tonight?
Sky Sports channels for darts
- Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action are the primary channels for live darts coverage in the UK (The Bierkeller (Sky Sports coverage)).
- Sky Sports Mix carries additional live fixtures and holds exclusive rights to several tournaments (The Bierkeller (Sky Sports Mix)).
- Premier League Darts broadcasts on Thursday evenings via Sky Sports Main and Sky Sports Mix (Sky Sports (Premier League schedule)).
ITV4 darts coverage
- ITV4 covers The Masters, UK Open, World Series of Darts, European Championship, and Players Championship Finals (The Bierkeller (ITV tournaments)).
- ITV4 also broadcasts selected PDC World Championship matches (The Bierkeller (World Championship coverage)).
Streaming options: NOW TV and ITVX
- NOW TV offers day, week, or month passes to stream Sky Sports channels live without a contract (NOW TV (streaming passes)).
- ITVX streams ITV4 live for free, giving access to ITV’s darts lineup (ITVX (ITV4 live stream)).
- Sky Go is available for existing Sky TV subscribers (Sky (Sky Go guide)).
Sky holds the premium rights — Premier League, World Matchplay, Grand Slam. ITV picks up the rest. For a fan who wants every major live, the cheapest route is a NOW TV day pass (£11.98) combined with free ITVX.
The implication: your channel tonight depends entirely on which tournament is running. Sky’s exclusives mean you cannot watch Premier League Darts on ITV4 — no overlap, no shared rights.
Is the darts on ITV4?
ITV4’s darts schedule
- ITV4 airs darts events including the World Championship, Grand Slam of Darts, and the UK Open (The Bierkeller (ITV coverage)).
- ITV Sport’s coverage often runs afternoon and evening sessions, typically starting at 1pm and 7pm UK time.
Upcoming ITV4 darts events
- The UK Open will return on ITV4 in March 2026, followed by the European Championship later in the year (The Bierkeller (ITV tournament calendar)).
- ITV4 also broadcasts the World Series of Darts Finals, typically in September.
New-look ITV darts lineup for 2026
- ITV has announced a revamped presenter lineup for its 2026 darts coverage (PDC (ITV announcement)).
- The new team is expected to debut during the 2026 Masters tournament.
The pattern: ITV4 is the go-to free-to-air channel for darts, but its slate is limited to a handful of PDC majors. On an average Thursday night, if the darts are on Sky, ITV4 is dark.
What time is the darts final?
World Darts Championship final start time
- The PDC World Darts Championship final typically starts at 8pm UK time on January 3 (PDC (event details)).
- The 2025 final will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and streamed on NOW TV.
Premier League Darts final timing
- The Premier League Darts play-offs and final night usually begin at 7pm UK time on a Thursday in May (Sky Sports (Premier League schedule)).
- Exact date for the 2026 final night is TBC but expected around May 28.
How to check exact times for different events
- The most reliable source is the official PDC calendar at pdc.tv.
- Wheresthematch.com provides a quick TV schedule aggregator for all UK sport.
The catch: start times shift depending on the tournament stage and broadcaster. The World Championship final is a fixed 8pm; Premier League finals often start earlier to fit the schedule.
Is The darts at Ally Pally on TV?
Ally Pally as venue for World Championship
- The PDC World Darts Championship has been held at Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) in London since 2008 (Wikipedia (PDC history)).
- The venue seats approximately 3,000 spectators and hosts the championship from mid-December to early January.
TV coverage of Alexandra Palace events
- All matches from Ally Pally are broadcast live on Sky Sports (The Bierkeller (World Championship broadcast)).
- ITV4 does not broadcast the World Darts Championship.
How to watch Ally Pally matches
- Sky subscribers can watch via Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Action.
- Non-subscribers can access the matches via a NOW TV Sky Sports pass (NOW TV (Sky Sports packs)).
Ally Pally is the sport’s biggest stage. If you are searching “darts on tv tonight” in December, the answer is always Ally Pally on Sky. The only question is whether you have a subscription or a NOW pass ready.
The pattern: Ally Pally is a Sky exclusive. ITV4 never shows it. That means the biggest darts event of the year is behind a paywall — free-to-air viewers get zero live coverage.
Does ITV4 show the world darts championship?
ITV4’s coverage of World Championship
- ITV4 does not broadcast the PDC World Darts Championship — that event is exclusive to Sky Sports (The Bierkeller (World Championship rights)).
- ITV4’s World Championship coverage is limited to highlights and post-event analysis.
Comparison with Sky Sports coverage
- Sky Sports holds exclusive UK rights to the World Darts Championship and broadcasts all sessions live (The Bierkeller (Sky exclusive rights)).
- ITV4 covers other PDC majors: The Masters, UK Open, World Series Finals, European Championship, and Players Championship Finals (The Bierkeller (ITV tournament list)).
ITV4’s other darts events
- ITV4’s darts slate includes the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Cup of Darts (shared with Sky).
- ITV4 also broadcasts the BDO World Darts Championship when scheduled.
The trade-off: ITV4 gives you free access to several majors, but the big one — the World Championship at Ally Pally — requires a Sky subscription or a NOW TV pass. For the casual fan, ITV4 covers most of the calendar. For the die-hard, Sky is essential.
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Frequently asked questions
How can I get a NOW TV pass to watch darts?
Go to nowtv.com and select a Sky Sports day pass (£11.98), week pass (£20.99), or month pass (£34.99). No contract required.
Is there a darts match on ITV4 tonight?
Check the ITV4 schedule on itvx.com. ITV4 airs darts only during specific PDC majors — it is not a weekly fixture.
What time do darts events usually start?
Evening sessions typically start at 7pm or 8pm UK time. Afternoon sessions, when scheduled, start at 1pm.
Can I watch darts on BBC iPlayer?
No. The BBC has not held darts broadcast rights since the early 1990s. All major darts is on Sky Sports or ITV4.
What is the PDC World Darts Championship format?
96 players in a knockout format. The final is a best-of-13 sets. The tournament runs from December 15 to January 3 (PDC (format details)).
Are all darts finals shown on TV?
Yes. Premier League, World Championship, World Matchplay, Grand Slam, and UK Open finals are all broadcast live on Sky Sports or ITV4.
Did Littler lose to Van Veen?
No confirmed data. The match has not been scheduled or reported as completed. Check Sky Sports for the latest fixtures.
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Arthur Oliver Howard Fletcher is a staff writer for NationalReport.uk, covering UK national news, politics, the economy and public services. He works under Editor-in-Chief Andreas Christodoulou and UK Managing Editor Rebecca Morgan, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.