The hype around darts never stops. If you want to throw on professional dartboards like in “Ally Pally”, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. We’ll tell you here which boards are approved for tournaments and what the pros like about the boards.
Darts has undergone a rapid image change from a smoky pub game to a hyped event sport. When German professional Gabriel Clemens reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship in 2023, almost four million viewers tuned in to DAZN and Sport1, as Manager Magazin reported.
Darts has become a real phenomenon thanks to clever promoters. The World Championship, which takes place every year at the turn of the year in London’s “Ally Pally”, has already become one of the top sporting events in winter. Anyone who has caught darts fever and wants to play themselves has relatively low entry barriers. Professional dartboards can often be had for mid-double-digit amounts.
The PDC tournaments are currently played on this professional dartboard
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is considered a particularly prestigious world darts association due to the high tournament prize money. The official tournament dartboard that is hung at PDC events is made by the manufacturer Winmau. The professional dartboard Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core will be used for all major PDC events until 2027. Darts fans will be pleased to know that the game device is available for less than 100 euros.
This is what makes the Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core professional dartboard so special:
- Professional dartboard made of sisal with optimal fibre density
- Innovative density control wire with 60-degree angle
- Third sisal layer compacted with carbon fibers
The Winmau Blade 6 is available in three versions. The high-end Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core dartboard, which is padded with three layers of carbon fiber, is often sold out in online shops due to high demand. The sisal boards are even sold out in the official PDC shop. Darts fans are in luck, though, because the basic Winmau Blade 6 model is still available from commercial dealers on eBay.
Professional dartboards with tournament approval for the best playing experience
A lot of know-how and craftsmanship goes into the production of professional dartboards. The sisal fibers must be processed as compactly as possible so that the darts do not fall out of the target zones. Various manufacturers have developed their own systems and patents to guarantee the best possible playing conditions for professionals.
For the longest time, the manufacturer Unicorn provided the dartboards for the professional PDC events. However, at the beginning of January 2022, Unicorn withdrew as a dartboard sponsor for the PDC. This does not change the quality of the boards; the professional sisal boards are in no way inferior to those from Winmau.
The game device from the manufacturer One80 is also approved for professional tournaments. The boundary wire of the hitting fields of the professional dartboard Gladiator III is extremely thin, and the sisal is medium-strength.
How much do professional darts players earn?
Professional darts has become very lucrative. The prize money for the PDC tournaments is high. During the darts year, professional players take part in dozens of tournaments to collect prize money. The PDC world rankings are then compiled according to the prize money won. The best German darts player on the official PDC list is Martin Schindler, who has already collected around 390,000 euros in prize money by the beginning of July 2024. Schindler is currently number 23 in the PDC world rankings. The second best German player, Gabriel Clemens, follows in 24th place with 360,000 euros in prize money.
In addition to the prize money, the professionals also earn money from advertising deals, income from merchandise or social media.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
