Matchplay Changes for 2019

[ssjsa]

BETFRED will become the new title sponsor of the Betfred World Matchplay after securing a three-year contract with the prestigious tournament, which will also see prize money increase to a record £700,000.

The World Matchplay is the PDC's second longest-running tournament, having first been staged in 1994 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, and sees 32 players competing across nine days.

Next year's tournament, to be held from July 20-28 2019 and broadcast live on Sky Sports and worldwide, will be the first under a new three-year sponsorship with leading bookmaker Betfred.

Prize money for the tournament will be boosted to £700,000 - an increase of £200,000 from 2018 - and will see a £150,000 prize awarded to the player who claims The Phil Taylor Trophy next year.

"I couldn't be happier to see Betfred involved in one of the biggest in events in the darts calendar," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

The World Matchplay is a tournament loved by players and fans, and it's brilliant for Betfred to support such a high-profile tournament.

"We had committed to increasing prize money across the PDC circuit, and this announcement of an increase for the Betfred World Matchplay will be followed by more good news for players in the coming weeks!"

Betfred boss Fred Done said: "We have always enjoyed a great working relationship with Barry Hearn so I am delighted to have agreed a deal to link up with Barry and the PDC to sponsor one of the biggest tournaments in world darts."

Won in 2018 for the first time by Gary Anderson, the World Matchplay was won a record 16 times by the legendary Phil Taylor, after whom the trophy is now named.

Michael van Gerwen and Rod Harrington are two-time World Matchplay champions, while James Wade, Colin Lloyd and Peter Evison have also lifted the title since Larry Butler's 1994 triumph.

Tickets for the 2019 Betfred World Matchplay are likely to go on sale in January or February 2019. Details will be confirmed at http://www.pdc.tv/tickets once finalised.

2019 Betfred World Matchplay
Prize Fund

Winner 150k
Runner-Up 70k
Semi Finalists 50k
Quarter Finalists 25k
Last 16 15k
Last 32 10k
Total 700k

[The Jolly Man]

Betfred new sponsor and prize fund increase to £700,000

More good news for the players and more to follow
——————————————————
BETFRED will become the new title sponsor of the Betfred World Matchplay after securing a three-year contract with the prestigious tournament, which will also see prize money increase to a record £700,000.

The World Matchplay is the PDC's second longest-running tournament, having first been staged in 1994 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, and sees 32 players competing across nine days.

Next year's tournament, to be held from July 20-28 2019 and broadcast live on Sky Sports and worldwide, will be the first under a new three-year sponsorship with leading bookmaker Betfred.

Prize money for the tournament will be boosted to £700,000 - an increase of £200,000 from 2018 - and will see a £150,000 prize awarded to the player who claims The Phil Taylor Trophy next year.

"I couldn't be happier to see Betfred involved in one of the biggest in events in the darts calendar," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

The World Matchplay is a tournament loved by players and fans, and it's brilliant for Betfred to support such a high-profile tournament.

"We had committed to increasing prize money across the PDC circuit, and this announcement of an increase for the Betfred World Matchplay will be followed by more good news for players in the coming weeks!"

Betfred boss Fred Done said: "We have always enjoyed a great working relationship with Barry Hearn so I am delighted to have agreed a deal to link up with Barry and the PDC to sponsor one of the biggest tournaments in world darts."

Won in 2018 for the first time by Gary Anderson, the World Matchplay was won a record 16 times by the legendary Phil Taylor, after whom the trophy is now named.

Michael van Gerwen and Rod Harrington are two-time World Matchplay champions, while James Wade, Colin Lloyd and Peter Evison have also lifted the title since Larry Butler's 1994 triumph.

Tickets for the 2019 Betfred World Matchplay are likely to go on sale in January or February 2019. Details will be confirmed at http://www.pdc.tv/tickets once finalised.

2019 Betfred World Matchplay
Prize Fund

Winner 150k
Runner-Up 70k
Semi Finalists 50k
Quarter Finalists 25k
Last 16 15k
Last 32 10k
Total 700k

[thecat]

Problem gambling has been in the news quite a lot recently, only last week they were talking about the number of children who gamble. Maybe it’s time for the PDC to look at other title sponsors and start building relationships before the inevitable advertising ban.

[Rab Butler]

Problem gambling has been in the news quite a lot recently, only last week they were talking about the number of children who gamble. Maybe it’s time for the PDC to look at other title sponsors and start building relationships before the inevitable advertising ban.

Ladbrokes
Betfred
Betfair
Unibet
William Hill

They should be ashamed to be propagating this.

[billyd]

Problem gambling has been in the news quite a lot recently, only last week they were talking about the number of children who gamble. Maybe it’s time for the PDC to look at other title sponsors and start building relationships before the inevitable advertising ban.

Ladbrokes
Betfred
Betfair
Unibet
William Hill

They should be ashamed to be propagating this.

Wrong account Paddy!

[Zapp Brannigan]

Problem gambling has been in the news quite a lot recently, only last week they were talking about the number of children who gamble. Maybe it’s time for the PDC to look at other title sponsors and start building relationships before the inevitable advertising ban.

Hearn answered this on twitter, gambling companies pay the most money by far.

There is zero chance of an advertising ban they are in the pockets of every sport in the country. Alcohol bans will happen before gambling.

[thecat]

Problem gambling has been in the news quite a lot recently, only last week they were talking about the number of children who gamble. Maybe it’s time for the PDC to look at other title sponsors and start building relationships before the inevitable advertising ban.

Hearn answered this on twitter, gambling companies pay the most money by far.

There is zero chance of an advertising ban they are in the pockets of every sport in the country. Alcohol bans will happen before gambling.

They pay the most but if the bubble bursts you lose them all. Australia announced a ban on advertising during live sport and think Italy have too. The snooker tour was loaded with tobacco sponsors, must have lost about 300k from the worlds total and the masters prize fund was pretty much cut in half

[Paddy McGinty]

It's about time they looked at other sources other than Gambling companies, so multi millionaire Hearn says that bookies pay the most so this makes it OK? Making profit out of children's addictions is immoral and quite frankly evil.

[billyd]

It's about time they looked at other sources other than Gambling companies, so multi millionaire Hearn says that bookies pay the most so this makes it OK? Making profit out of children's addictions is immoral and quite frankly evil.

Paddy seemingly forgetting the Lakeside was once the Embassy, there

[only85]

It's about time they looked at other sources other than Gambling companies, so multi millionaire Hearn says that bookies pay the most so this makes it OK? Making profit out of children's addictions is immoral and quite frankly evil.

Paddy seemingly forgetting the Lakeside was once the Embassy, there

Yes I thought that , however the point is relevant when fags adverts was banned they went to lakeside the issue is youngsters & the demographic the pdc appeal to are the betting brigade, will be interesting at lakeside this year if before each game the odds are discussed as they are here on itv by the commentary,

[el_ringo]

They pay the most but if the bubble bursts you lose them all. Australia announced a ban on advertising during live sport and think Italy have too. The snooker tour was loaded with tobacco sponsors, must have lost about 300k from the worlds total and the masters prize fund was pretty much cut in half

The tobacco sponsorship ban didn't happen over night sports were given a grace period of several years to plan for such changes. F1 and other sports managed very well . The BDO failed to show any commercial nous in finding new sponsors and thus suffered. Snooker wasn't run back them with any connection to Barry Hearn but managed to plod through with some new lower level sponsors.

Tobacco advertising had also been banned from in various stages in the UK beginning with cigarettes on TV in 1965 and then with the total tobacco ban on global sporting evenings in 2005 so the ban was hardly an overnight blanket ban.

[DavidB]

They pay the most but if the bubble bursts you lose them all. Australia announced a ban on advertising during live sport and think Italy have too. The snooker tour was loaded with tobacco sponsors, must have lost about 300k from the worlds total and the masters prize fund was pretty much cut in half

The tobacco sponsorship ban didn't happen over night sports were given a grace period of several years to plan for such changes. F1 and other sports managed very well . The BDO failed to show any commercial nous in finding new sponsors and thus suffered. Snooker wasn't run back them with any connection to Barry Hearn but managed to plod through with some new lower level sponsors.

Tobacco advertising had also been banned from in various stages in the UK beginning with cigarettes on TV in 1965 and then with the total tobacco ban on global sporting evenings in 2005 so the ban was hardly an overnight blanket ban.

I seem remember most snooker events (and there were only about 7) running without any sponsors, the 2004 Masters being one such event...

[Ginge]

That was when Sir (snigger) Rodney Walker ran the show. And yes there were a mere 7 events one year, one of which was the unranked Malta Open. Was totally incapable of finding alternative sponsors, and then Hearn came in and the rest is history. Had about 40% of the players vote against him coming in, if I recall. Turkeys voting for Xmas comes to mind.

[DavidB]

Yeah I know it was obviously pre Hearn days but the post I replied to suggested that snooker was able to find other sponsors after the ban, clearly not the case...

[Ginge]

Yeah I know it was obviously pre Hearn days but the post I replied to suggested that snooker was able to find other sponsors after the ban, clearly not the case...

Took a few years and needed the right person. Walker was a moron.

[trotter]

That was when Sir (snigger) Rodney Walker ran the show. And yes there were a mere 7 events one year, one of which was the unranked Malta Open. Was totally incapable of finding alternative sponsors, and then Hearn came in and the rest is history. Had about 40% of the players vote against him coming in, if I recall. Turkeys voting for Xmas comes to mind.

Now Ronnie O'Sullivan says there are too many events...he hates the 128 man fields and likes the invitational 16 man events....he forgets how players get to be able to be invited to them events in the first place...

[only85]

That was when Sir (snigger) Rodney Walker ran the show. And yes there were a mere 7 events one year, one of which was the unranked Malta Open. Was totally incapable of finding alternative sponsors, and then Hearn came in and the rest is history. Had about 40% of the players vote against him coming in, if I recall. Turkeys voting for Xmas comes to mind.

Now Ronnie O'Sullivan says there are too many events...he hates the 128 man fields and likes the invitational 16 man events....he forgets how players get to be able to be invited to them events in the first place...

I’d defend sulkivan he has a point to a degree the top players should have a certain degree of protection,the tedious constant travel at the top end it isn’t fun, what’s become more apparent to me is he’s becoming more & more vocal in his criticism also in darts this week we’ve had gando saying about tv stages, ( speaking out) other players in the past have voiced concerns to bout different things, Hearn is 70 + snooker & darts is his way or the highway, when he’s gone who else has that iron grip control over the players, can’t see Matt porter ruling like a god from on high with players kowtowing, the rewards are great now for both sports, but there’s a equilibrium that’s hard to keep & I don’t see anyone else being able to do it

[DavidB]

That was when Sir (snigger) Rodney Walker ran the show. And yes there were a mere 7 events one year, one of which was the unranked Malta Open. Was totally incapable of finding alternative sponsors, and then Hearn came in and the rest is history. Had about 40% of the players vote against him coming in, if I recall. Turkeys voting for Xmas comes to mind.

Now Ronnie O'Sullivan says there are too many events...he hates the 128 man fields and likes the invitational 16 man events....he forgets how players get to be able to be invited to them events in the first place...

He has a point about the number of snooker events - seems incredible even in this day and age that a player plays all week in China with the event ending on the Sunday then has to fly straight to Northern Ireland to play another week long event starting the very next day !!!

Given the darts model there is no reason apart from perhaps the Home Nations event to have a 128 flat draw - all other events should have a 32 player field for tv (except those like Masters, Champions of Champions, etc) with qualifiers as the PDC events or top 16 in OOM at the cut-off point vs the top 16 not qualified in the pro tour events...

[foggs3355]

I think it time to expand the WMP to 40 players top 24 ranked in to round 2 and 16 from floor it only take 2 extra session play round 1 on the sat and play last 8 afternoon evening Friday

[Deleted User]

I think it time to expand the WMP to 40 players top 24 ranked in to round 2 and 16 from floor it only take 2 extra session play round 1 on the sat and play last 8 afternoon evening Friday

No. Just no.