Bullseye confirms darts academy sponsorship and new TV show
Bulldog Licensing, licensing agent for Bullseye, has announced a major sponsorship and a triumphant return to TV for the iconic darts game show and brand, along with continuing growth for the Bullseye licensing programme.
Bullseye is now a sponsor of the Blackburn Youth Darts Academy. In fact Bullseye will be sponsoring all ten events in the Blackburn Youth Darts Academy Champion Players 1 series this year. It’s also the main sponsor for the Academy’s Blackburn Youth Festival of darts in October with events for age categories ranging from 8 to 18.
The Blackburn Youth Darts Academy aims to promote the sport of darts to the children and young people who are the future of the sport. It enrols both boys and girls aged 6 to 18 years to participate in darts activities, holding weekly coaching sessions and attending competitions locally and nationally. It also boasts one of the best darts facilities in the UK. Many of its students qualify for the Junior World Championships each year.
The announcement underlines the growing popularity of darts with younger people, and has coincided with breaking news that, following the massive success of the 2024 Bullseye Christmas special, the team of Freddie Flintoff and official scorer Richard Ashdown will be back in a brand new series on ITV later this year.
Dates and broadcast timings have yet to be confirmed but this news confirms the growing momentum for both the show and the brand. The licensing programme has grown extensively in recent months to include plush from Posh Paws International, board games and mini dart games from University Games and most recently, dress up from Blues Group Limited. Bullseye has also grown in the entertainment sector, with guests at Away Resorts able to play along on stage, and players at Buzz Bingo able to play Bullseye Bingo every evening at 6 pm.
In the unlikely event that anyone is unaware of this classic TV game, Bullseye tests both quiz and darts skills as teams of contestants, each consisting of one amateur darts player and one trivia or quizzing expert, compete against one another.
Bullseye first aired on ITV in the 1980s, where it peaked at 19.8 million viewers in its Boxing Day broadcast on ITV in 1989. It has a strong following throughout the UK to this day thanks to showings on Sky Challenge since 2006, where it is regularly among the top shows on the channel. In 2008 Bullseye launched on social media.
A 2024 Bullseye Christmas Special hosted by Freddie Flintoff and including teen phenomenon Luke Littler, who appeared as the professional thrower on the Christmas special, was a big ratings and media success.
The show is synonymous with fun, celebrity players and of course catchphrases such as ‘Bully’s special prize’, and ‘nothing in this game for two in a bed’. The licensing programme has built on the enduring popularity of the show, with Bullseye-branded apparel, gifts, games, publishing, and food and drink, as well as a specially created Bullseye online store. A competition adapted for Away Resorts holidaymakers and a Home Leisure interactive darts game have taken the format to holiday resorts and homes.
The Blackburn Youth Darts Academy is run on a voluntary basis by Academy Director, Keith Brunt, who he is delighted with the Bullseye sponsorship. He says: “The response to the Blackburn Youth Darts Academy Champion Players 1 series and Blackburn Youth Festival of darts has been fantastic and with the growing appeal of darts to the young, we think it’s going to be one of our best years ever. It’s now been boosted in a big way with sponsorship from one of the darts world’s best-loved names. We’re thrilled to have the support of this iconic brand.”
Bulldog MD Rob Corney says: “Bullseye has always been popular, but the Luke Littler-inspired explosion of interest in darts and the success of the Bullseye Christmas Special have given the brand a higher profile than ever. Now the new TV series, an important sponsorship and licensing growth are bringing Bullseye to an even wider audience of viewers, young players and consumers and contributing to what we think will be Bullseye’s best year to date! Good luck to all the players competing in the Blackburn Youth Darts Academy events and remember: you can’t beat a bit of Bully!”
