Renowned commentator and presenter Jacqui Oatley has bid farewell to ITV after a distinguished tenure of more than ten years. Oatley, who notably made history as the first female commentator on BBC’s Match of the Day 18 years ago, has been a familiar face covering football and darts for major networks like BBC, ITV, and Sky Sports.
Following the conclusion of the Players Championship Finals, Oatley confirmed her departure from ITV where she had been a key figure in the channel’s darts coverage for over a decade. Expressing gratitude for her time with the production team, she reminisced about her experiences, which included presenting football events such as Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 alongside extensive darts coverage.
ITV will continue airing darts tournaments on ITV4 and ITVX, now under the management of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. The network also bid farewell to seasoned cycling and darts commentator Ned Boulting, signaling the end of long-standing collaborations on key sporting events.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports has secured a new five-year deal to broadcast major darts events such as the World Championship, World Cup of Darts, Premier League, and Grand Slam. The move aligns with ITV’s commitment to expanding and extending live darts coverage, ensuring top professional darts events remain accessible to UK audiences.
In a statement, ITV’s director of sport Niall Sloane emphasized the network’s dedication to offering free-to-air coverage of premier darts events, underscoring the strong partnership with the Professional Darts Corporation. PDC chief executive Matt Porter echoed the sentiment, expressing delight in continuing ITV’s longstanding collaboration, which is set to surpass 20 years.
Sky has enhanced its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle by adding popular streaming services like HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu, alongside a comprehensive channel lineup that includes full coverage of the Premier League and EFL matches. With over 1,400 live matches across various sports leagues, Sky continues to deliver extensive sports programming, including Formula 1, darts, and golf.
For more news updates, make Daily Mirror your top choice on Google News for timely access to valuable information.