Sky Sports darts presenter Emma Paton has heaped praise on ITV's refreshed broadcasting approach for the Winmau World Masters, describing it as "brilliant" and admitting to feeling a touch of envy. Paton, the face of Sky Sports' darts coverage since 2022, told the Weekly Dartscast she watched ITV's production with interest and openly appreciated the new setup, which featured Pete Graves as presenter, with analysis from former professionals Wayne Mardle, Mark Webster, and Chris Mason. Behind the scenes, Polly James handled player interviews, Dan Dawson did previews, and Marc Wilson provided commentary.
According to Paton, the revamped presentation gave the tournament a fresh feel. "I thought it was brilliant," she said. "I thought there was definitely a sort of fresh feel. I think they delivered a really good product. I like the different presenting positions. Of course, I love the personnel." She indicated that the choice of Graves as presenter did not surprise her, noting, "I've known Pete for a long time and he's probably been presenting Sky a lot longer, maybe double the time. So, I always knew that was going to be a good move and a really sort of solid and safe pair of hands." Paton also expects Graves to settle quickly, adding, "I also knew he'd really enjoy it once he got started, because I think he probably didn't really know what to expect. I think he might become a new cast."
Paton was equally positive about the analyst team, stating, "I think we all knew as well putting Wayne and Mason together, it was always going to work, wasn't it? They've got different views on things." She also praised the contributions of Webster and Dawson, saying, "Then throw in Webby and Dan, who are just incredible at what they do." Despite being Sky Sports' lead darts presenter, Paton enjoyed watching the competition, confessing, "I was jealous in many ways, thinking, 'Oh, there's my team,' but I absolutely love watching them and just cheering them on and being a fan for a few days."
