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June 1, 2023

PDC Puts on ‘Sport’s Biggest Party’ to Draw Casual Fans

Courtesy: PDC

U.S. Darts Masters returns to Madison Square Garden this weekend (June 2-3).

While the 2023 tournament will feature eight of the world’s top darts players alongside eight of North America’s top players, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is marketing the event as ‘Sport’s Biggest Party’.

“[The star power and stakes are] the second line,” Matthew Porter (CEO, Professional Darts Corporation) said. “We need to get your attention first.”

The U.S. is a relatively new market for professional darts and marketing the party experience associated with the event enables PDC to standout in a crowded sports and entertainment landscape.

“You’re trying to offer people something different, Porter said.

~30-year-old PDC made its maiden voyage to New York last summer after COVID-19 delayed the promotion’s first visit to the city by more than two years.

PDC had come to the U.S. before. But it was always to Las Vegas, to put on events for traveling Brits and English expats. June '22 was the first time the pro darts circuit had come to North America with the intention of serving the American consumer.  

4,500 fans ended up turning out over the two days.

“The American darts community traveled from all over, as you would expect,” Porter said. “But we also drew some casual sports fans from [in and around] New York.”

PDC expects between 5,500 and 6,000 fans to attend this weekend's tournament (+22-33% YoY). The bulk of those additional individuals are likely to be casual fans checking out a pro darts event for the first time.

That's because it is the demo PDC is marketing the event to. It recognizes there are a finite number of people within the darts community, like any hobby community.

By contrast, “there are an infinite number of casual sports fans,” Porter said, and many would seemingly have a level of interest in U.S. Darts Masters “because they watch sport and want to enjoy themselves...They’re the people who are going to really help us grow.”

But gaining new fans in this market is a challenge. There are an abundance of alternative pro sports and entertainment options for fans to invest their time and money in, and preconceived notions of darts add to PDC’s difficulties.

U.S. consumers “haven't traditionally associated [the sport] with being a loud, colorful, fast-paced spectator experience,” Porter said.

The Matchroom Sport subsidiary is desperately trying to change that by marketing the party atmosphere that has organically become a staple of its events over the last 15 years.

It’s an environment “to drink some beers and have some fun,” Porter said, and check out some high-level darts play in the process.

Marketing the event as a party has seemingly provided a lift to PDC’s top line (at worst, the approach hasn’t hurt it).

“We’re selling more tickets [in Europe and Australia],” Porter said. “Whether you could attribute it to [the strategy] or just a general increase in popularity and awareness of the sport [is hard to say].”

It has also helped to create a better at-home viewing experience. Venues are now filled rowdy attendees, many of whom are eager to show off in front of the camera. Fans often show up to PDC events in costume (think: cartoon character, superhero) or will hold up large signs with silly messages written on them.

“Don’t forget, our main audience is still our broadcast audience,” Porter said. “We need our show to be a banger because we need people [watching on TV] to appreciate the atmosphere.”

Football jerseys are among the only outfits not permitted at PDC events. The promotion looks to prevent hooliganism from occurring.

PDC is convinced the in-arena atmosphere keeps fans coming back too.

“Our model really is to travel around the world [to cities or countries] once-a-year and try to make a big show and get people hooked in a way that means when we return the year after, they want to go back,” Porter said. “We want to be an annual fixture on your social calendar.”

And they need to do it without players casual fans know or are passionate about.

“By making the demand to be about the product, we’re making [PDC events] more robust and able to withstand individual fluctuations in form and personality,” Porter said.

Of course, the marketing strategy varies by market.

“When we went to Shanghai, we didn’t call [the tournament] ‘Sport’s Biggest Party’,” Porter said. “That wouldn’t have resonated as well, even though we're delivering essentially the same product.”

In more mature markets, like the U.K., PDC speaks to the target audience in several ways.

“We produce a lot of heavy content to service the proper darts fans,” Porter said. “We also produce a lot of superficial stuff, which is just about fun, coming out with your mates, having some beers, watching some darts, don’t really care who wins, for the casual audience.”

PDC isn’t the only rights owner selling the live event experience. LIV Golf is leaning into the approach as well as it strives to appeal to a diversified audience.

"Whether you’re looking to see the biggest names in the game compete at the highest level, want to enjoy live music acts in an upbeat atmosphere, or seek family-friendly entertainment, there is something for everyone at a LIV Golf tournament,” Ron Cross (chief events officer, LIV Golf Investments). 

But that doesn’t mean every emerging/challenger sports property should follow suit.

“It’s [only] a viable strategy if your approach stacks up with [the party mentality],” Porter said.

The sport’s format must also lend itself to delivering an enjoyable fan experience.

Beer and costumes cannot make up for a dry product.