PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter has expressed his strong desire to keep the World Matchplay at its historic home, the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, despite unprecedented ticket demand. Speaking to Online Darts at the UK Open, Porter said, "I really hope not," when asked if commercial pressure could ever force the event away from Blackpool. He added, "I really hope that's never a decision I have to make – and if it is, hopefully it's somebody else's decision. As much as Alexandra Palace is synonymous with the World Championship, the history of the World Matchplay only exists at the Winter Gardens. The event is only what it is because of that venue, so I think that would be a really unwelcome move." The tournament has been held at the Winter Gardens since its inception in 1994.
Porter highlighted the benefits of the event for Blackpool itself, noting the town's resurgence. "It's crazy, but it's also great for Blackpool," he said. "Blackpool's such an archetypal, classic British summertime town. It may have had difficult times in recent years, but it's having a bit of a resurgence. They've spent a lot of money on the seafront there and there's a lot of investment going into Blackpool and bringing more content to the town and more profile to it. It's one of those fits that just works. We're lucky that we've got that with so many of our events where the ingredients just blend together really nicely, and I think that's one of them." Demand for tickets for the 2025 event has been extraordinary.
In contrast, the PDC has confirmed a significant change for the World Championship, which will remain at Alexandra Palace but move into the venue's much larger Great Hall in the future, increasing capacity to just over 5,000 spectators per session. Porter explained the decision was driven by technical advancements and extraordinary ticket demand, with the West Hall selling out in 15 minutes. "I want to be able to turn around to people and say you can get a ticket. I want to be able to turn around to the players and say we are growing the event," he said. Porter also reflected on the most recent World Championship, stating, "I felt the overall profile of the event rose another level this year. It's almost at a point now where the numbers aren't a surprise – they're an expectation."
Porter discussed the sport's global growth, citing players from countries such as Kenya, India, and New Zealand capturing attention, and the impact of teenage sensation Luke Littler, who has appeared at events like the Brit Awards and the Laureus Sports Awards. "It's almost become what we're used to now," Porter said of Littler's reach. "They're just places that darts hasn't been before. It's phenomenal recognition for Luke first and foremost and after that for the sport." He noted that Littler, now 19, has shifted the conversation from his age to his achievements.
On the Premier League selection, Porter admitted it was "the hardest for a long time," with the final eight not decided until about an hour before the announcement. He specifically mentioned Dutch star Danny Noppert as "extremely unlucky" to miss out, adding that he spoke to Noppert in Saudi Arabia and found him "very mature about the situation." Other players in the conversation included Nathan Aspinall and James Wade. Porter defended the selections, saying, "I felt a lot of the comments about a couple of the players' inclusions were really unfair to those players. I don't think there was anybody in there who you couldn't say justified a selection. Just because somebody else may have justified one in your eyes, that doesn't mean the person who got picked didn't justify one as well."
