Sky Sports completely ignored me in their World Matchplay coverage - and I'm bloody fuming about it

By Lewis Barnett 25 July, 2025 5 mins read 334 Views

Look, I've been biting my tongue for years about this stuff.

But after beating Gian van Veen 16-13 on Thursday night - my tenth time reaching the semis at Blackpool, by the way - I finally snapped. Sky Sports didn't show me once in their build-up coverage. Not bloody once. And you know what? I'm done pretending it doesn't bother me.

Here's the thing that really gets under my skin: I probably played some of the better darts out of all the players in this tournament. My averages have been consistently higher than most of the field. But when Sky put together their fancy promotional packages for the quarter-finals, guess who was mysteriously absent?

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The snub that lit a fire

My mate texted me before the match: "Did you see the Sky promo?" I hadn't. Probably better that way, because when I found out later, it made me angrier than I've been in months. And anger, weirdly enough, works for me on the oche.

"It made me a little bit more hungry," I told the press afterwards. "It's the kind of thing that makes me unhealthy... not weak, but it's an unfair judgement."

Unfair doesn't even begin to cover it.

Twenty years of being overlooked

I'm ranked No.8 in the PDC right now. I've been reaching major semi-finals for two decades. Two bloody decades! And still, I'm treated like some journeyman who got lucky with a good run.

You want to know something I never say out loud? I believe I'm one of the greatest dart players on the planet. There, I said it. You'll probably never hear me say it again, because it's not my style to blow my own trumpet. But it's true.

The reality is brutal: darts isn't about who's playing great anymore. It's about who the press has latched onto and wants to publicise. That's it. That's all there is to it.

The PDC's little games

Don't even get me started on the Premier League situation. I joked earlier in the tournament that even if I finish in the top four rankings, the PDC would probably "change the qualifications" just to keep me out. Why? Because they think I'm too "awkward" for their shiny TV product.

Sky Sports and the PDC brass want their poster boys - the young guns, the crowd favorites, the ones who fit their narrative. Meanwhile, I'm out here consistently delivering world-class performances and getting treated like a ghost at a family reunion.

What really drives me mental

Someone compared me to golfer Scottie Scheffler the other day. You know what? I don't care about comparisons. I don't need to be like anyone else.

What I need is basic recognition for what I've achieved. If I win this tournament now - and I'm feeling confident after that performance against van Veen - nobody else will be sitting here in 20 years still doing what I'm doing. Nobody.

But will Sky Sports acknowledge that? Will they put me in their highlight reels and promotional packages?

Probably not.

Saturday's semi-final awaits

Jonny Clayton beat Stephen Bunting 16-7, so that's my semi-final opponent sorted. Clayton's a good player - won the Masters back in 2021, always dangerous when he gets going.

But here's what Clayton doesn't have: twenty years of being overlooked, underestimated, and frankly disrespected by the very people who should be celebrating what I've accomplished.

That chip on my shoulder? It's not going anywhere. And on Saturday night, it might just carry me to another World Matchplay final.

Whether Sky Sports shows me in their coverage or not.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I replace my dartboard?

A quality sisal dartboard should last anywhere from 1-3 years with regular play, though this varies dramatically based on usage and care. Professional-grade boards like Winmau Blade 5 or Target Unicorn typically outlast budget options by a significant margin.

How do I practice darts effectively if I'm playing alone?

Solo practice doesn't have to be boring—in fact, it's often more productive than casual games with friends. The key is having structured practice routines that target specific skills rather than just throwing randomly at the board.

My darts keep bouncing out of the board. What am I doing wrong?

Bounce-outs are incredibly frustrating, but they're usually caused by one of a few common issues. First, check your dartboard—if it's old and dried out, even the best throws will struggle to stick. Quality sisal boards should last years, but cheaper paper-wound boards harden quickly. If you can press your thumbnail into the board and it doesn't leave a small indent, it's too hard.

What's the standard height for hanging a dartboard?

The standard height for a dartboard is 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) from the floor to the bullseye. This measurement is official across professional darts organizations worldwide, including the PDC and BDO. It's designed to create a fair playing field for players of different heights.

What are "flights" and "stems" and do they really matter?

Flights and stems (also called shafts) are the components that stabilize your dart during flight, and yes, they absolutely matter—though perhaps not in the way beginners often think.

What's the difference between steel tip and soft tip darts?

Steel tip and soft tip darts represent two distinct branches of the sport, each with their own equipment, venues, and sometimes even scoring systems. The most obvious difference is in the point: steel tips have metal points for traditional bristle boards, while soft tips use flexible plastic points for electronic boards.

Statistics

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship has been held since 1994, with Phil Taylor winning a record 14 titles.
The distance from the throwing line (oche) to the dartboard is precisely 7 feet 9.25 inches (2.37 meters).
A perfect leg of 501 can be completed in nine darts, known in the sport as a "nine-darter."
A standard dartboard is divided into 20 numbered sections, with the bullseye at the center worth 50 points.
In 2016, Michael van Gerwen set a world record for the highest three-dart average in a major tournament at 123.40.
A professional dart weighs between 18-50 grams, with most players preferring 21-24 gram darts.
Phil Taylor has hit a record 22 televised nine-dart finishes throughout his professional career.
The Women's World Darts Championship was established in 2001, with Trina Gulliver winning 10 titles.

External Links

How To

Common Problems & How I Fixed Them

Inconsistent grouping was my biggest issue for years. The solution? I recorded my throw in slow motion and noticed I was dropping my elbow at different heights. Once I fixed that, my grouping tightened up immediately.

Did you miss our previous article...
https://sportingexcitement.com/darts/watched-luke-littler-try-golf-and-now-i-need-eye-bleach