Championship League Darts
| Championship League Darts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tournament information | |
| Venue | Crondon Park GC |
| Location | Stock, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Established | 2008 |
| Organisation(s) | PDC |
| Format | Legs |
| Prize fund | £189,000 (2009) |
| Month(s) Played | September/October |
| Current champion(s) | |
 Phil Taylor | |
Championship League Darts was a PDC darts tournament that used a league and legs format similar to the Premier League but offered the top players outside the top 8 in the PDC Order of Merit a chance to compete for the championship. It was the first ever darts tournament to be solely broadcast on and funded by Internet distribution.[1]
The tournament was first announced on the official PDC website in mid-April under the name 'Championship of Darts'.[1] It takes place throughout September and October and features a field of 29 players. The inaugural championship – the 2008 Championship League Darts – was held at the Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex and featured a prize fund of £189,000 and a place in the Grand Slam of Darts for the winner.[2] Phil Taylor won the inaugural championship.[3]
The tournament retired in 2014. [4]
Internet coverage
As there are no spectators in the playing room, coverage is exclusive to the Internet. The choice to broadcast the tournament over the Internet has been partly inspired by the Championship League snooker event and is also a successor to the live streaming of certain matches from the Blue Square UK Open regional finals from the PDC Pro Tour. The streaming is aided by the company Perform, a digital sports agency.[1] Live streaming of every game is available on the several sports betting websites, and is available internationally except in the United States of America where, for legal reasons, the Championship cannot be shown.[2]
Final results
| Year | Champion | Legs | Runner-up | Prize Fund | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Phil Taylor |
7–5 | Mervyn King |
£189,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 |
| 2009 | Colin Osborne |
6–4 | Phil Taylor |
£189,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 |
| 2010 | James Wade |
6–5 | Phil Taylor |
£189,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 |
| 2011 | Phil Taylor |
6–1 |  Paul Nicholson |
£189,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 |
| 2012 | Phil Taylor |
6–4 | Simon Whitlock |
£176,750 | £10,000 | £5,000 |
| 2013 | Phil Taylor |
6–3 |  Michael van Gerwen |
£200,000 | £10,000 | £5,000 |
Finalists
| Player | Won | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Taylor | 4 | 2 |
| Colin Osborne | 1 | 0 |
| James Wade | 1 | 0 |
| Mervyn King | 0 | 1 |
| Paul Nicholson | 0 | 1 |
| Simon Whitlock | 0 | 1 |
| Michael van Gerwen | 0 | 1 |
References
- 1 2 3 PDC Website report – PDC Launch Championship of Darts Archived September 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. from the Professional Darts Corporation, obtained 22-08-2008
- 1 2 PDC Website report – Championship League Darts Information & Groups Archived August 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. from the Professional Darts Corporation, obtained 22-08-2008
- ↑ PDC website report – Taylor Wins Championship League Darts Archived October 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. from the Professional Darts Corporation, obtained 28-10-2008
- ↑ - 2014 PDC calendar unveiled from the Professional Darts Corporation, obtained 13-11-2014