Darts Interactive on BBC

The Rooster

Good news for those who like Darts:

2005 LAKESIDE WORLD PROFESSIONAL DARTS CHAMPIONSHIPS GO LIVE AND INTER-ACTIVE ON BBC TV

The whole nine days of the 2005 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships will be available live to BBC Digital TV viewers.

By simply pressing the red-button on their digital remote control, viewers will be able to access the BBC’s live coverage during all twelve sessions of the 2005 World Professional.

“This is the most significant innovation in the history of these great Championships”, says the BDO’s Olly Croft. “We have worked long and hard to achieve it, and it is just reward for our players, officials, the millions of darts fans who tune in every year, and of course our sponsors.

“But it’s only one of the many innovations introduced by TWI – the largest independent producer, packager and distributor of sports programming in the world - who are now into their second year of producing our darts for BBC TV Sport.

“In addition to the Inter-Active Digital Service, BBC terrestrial viewers will be able to watch live darts on both BBC ONE and BBC TWO throughout the extended opening weekend of Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, January 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

“The two Semi-Finals on Saturday, January 8th will be screened back-to-back live on BBC ONE and BBC TWO, and the entire final will be seen live on BBC TWO on Sunday, January 9th.

“In between there will be more live darts, plus the Digital Inter-Active service, plus extensive afternoon and evening recorded highlights for those who aren’t able to catch the live coverage.

“It is our most exciting darts package ever, and the wonderful mix of live, inter-active and highlight programmes not only offers exceptional choice to the millions of BBC viewer, but will undoubtedly increase our already excellent viewing figures.

“Our thanks go to the BBC and TWI for reflecting their great confidence in the No.1 World Championship in darts. It is just reward for all the hard working BDO officials behind the scenes, and, of course, the ever-increasing standards of darts produced by our players – Men and Women.

“As we have always said: THE BEST DESERVES THE BEST!”

The blanket TV coverage available to UK viewers will be complemented by live coverage from SBS-6 in The Netherlands and Greater Europe, and the global service offered by BBC Worldwide, which provided coverage to seventy-four countries around the globe in 2004.

There can be no doubt that as well as being the premier Championship in World Darts, the Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships are seen by the biggest TV audience for darts anywhere in the world.

The 2005 World Professional Darts Championships will be played from Saturday, January 1st to Sunday, January 9th from ‘the home of world darts’ Lakeside Country Club – and for the very happiest of New Years, all darts fans who haven’t already got the capability of Digital TV, should treat themselves to the service (it only requires a digital set-top box) and enjoy total live coverage of the No.1 Championship in the world of darts.

source: www.bdodarts.com

celticfc

Great news, I'm glad to see the BBC are bringing a decent interactive service to more & more major sporting events & the BDO world championships is one of my favourites.

Their coverage at the world snooker ch'ships in april was great too.