Professional Darts: What is the PDC's European Darts Tour?

The Professional Darts Council is considered the most significant body in the world of elite darts outside of its major TV events the PDC operates what is known as The Pro Tour. These are non TV events - although some are streamed - which act as the bread and butter for the 128 players who hold a PDC Tour Card.

Between the early 2000s and 2012 the Pro Tour - mainly the Players Championship events -  were all totally off camera in leisure centres and hotel complexes mainly in the UK, and were also the main source of ranking points and income for those players not yet in the top echelon. 

The PDC formed a partnership with PDC Europe who wanted to promote a different model of event to promote the elite game across the continent. These were events for 32 players across a weekend, mainly in front of a crowd and onstage. Later streaming was added to make these event the perfect training ground

The inauguration of the European Tour prompted much speculation and comment when unveiled towards the end of 2011. Many players and their teams underestimated the impact of the new events whereas some others realised their impact immediately and encouraged their players to target them:

"I saw them as a huge opportunity for lower-ranked players. They were going to get a lot more chances at getting on stage in front of big crowds and even TV cameras. To us it was a no-brainer" (AIM180)

In the following years 39 players, Stephen Bunting ( pictured) recently becoming the latest, have claimed an event and many more have reached finals and semi-finals. Michael van Gerwen's dominance of the game during his peak can be seen in sharp relief in the tour's statistics record. His 38 event wins more than quadrauple his nearest rival.

It's possible that the greatest legacy of the European Tour, however, is the amount of stage/camera/audience time that lower-ranked players have managed to earn.

As a final testament to the success of the tour one simply has to look at the number of events. From a handful in 2012 through to 13 weekends in 2019 - and from 2022 onward - the tour has proven a huge success, have a look below to see the names on the trophies and the rapid growth of the new format with fifteen events soon  likely.

If you want to find extra information about the European Tour or the other major events within darts visit the dartsworld.com Halls of Fame.

European Tour Event Wins