Jacqui Oatley recently bid farewell to ITV after more than ten years with the network. A seasoned commentator and presenter, Oatley has been known for her coverage of football and darts on the prominent terrestrial platform.
Back in history, Oatley made a groundbreaking move 18 years ago as the first woman to provide commentary on BBC’s renowned show, Match of the Day. Since then, she has maintained her professional engagements with BBC, ITV, and Sky Sports.
Following the conclusion of the Players Championship Finals, Oatley shared the news of her departure from ITV. For over a decade, she contributed to the channel’s free-to-air darts broadcasts. In a post, she expressed gratitude for her time at ITV, highlighting memorable experiences from presenting football events like Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018, along with extensive involvement in darts coverage.
Moving forward, ITV will continue airing darts events on ITV4 and ITVX under the management of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. The network also confirmed the departure of Ned Boulting, a seasoned cycling and darts commentator, expressing appreciation for his longstanding contributions.
In related news, Sky Sports has secured a new five-year deal to broadcast major darts tournaments, including the World Championship, World Cup of Darts, Premier League, and Grand Slam. ITV’s director of sport, Niall Sloane, emphasized the network’s commitment to providing live darts coverage for UK audiences.
PDC’s chief executive, Matt Porter, echoed the sentiment, expressing delight in the extended partnership with ITV and the opportunity to offer free-to-air coverage of popular darts events.
Moreover, Sky has announced a significant discount on its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the upcoming season, featuring an expanded live match lineup across various leagues. Sky will showcase a minimum of 215 live Premier League matches next season, a notable increase from previous years.