THE World Darts Championship will take over your screens for the next month as the sports’ biggest names return to Alexandra Palace.
But you may be wondering why the players exit the stage at the conclusion of each set at the big tournament. We’ve got you covered here…
Luke Littler took the World Championships by storm last yearGetty
Michael Smith will be eyeing a second world title
Where do darts players go when they walk off stage between sets?
In TV darts tournaments on Sky Sports or ITV4, adverts need to be shown to pay the bills.
And this gives sweaty players the chance to regroup during key points in the match.
Of course, it often disrupts the flow of a contest and the leading star usually sees their momentum stopped if there are too many disruptions.
In the final there are likely to be several five-minute breaks where players can quickly nip to the loo – they drink a lot of water on stage.
In the past, players used to go backstage and swing a bottle of beer for comfort or maybe nip outside for a crafty cigarette.
Players don’t have to leave the oche and they can remain there for some free practice – particularly if they are in a losing position.
What is the World Darts Championship 2024 prize money?
The total prize pot for the 2024/25 World Darts Championship is a mouthwatering £2.5 million!
And the winner will take home £500,000 of the pot just like Luke Humphries did for the 2023/24 tournament.
In addition to that, Paddy Power will pay players a whopping £60,000 for every nine-dart finish they secure.
Winner: £500,000
Runner-Up: £200,000
Semi-Finalists x2: £100,000
Quarter-Finalists x4: £50,000
Fourth round x8 : £35,000
Third Round x16 : £25,000
Second Round x32: £15,000
First Round x32: £7,500
Total: £2,500,000
Nine dart finish: £60,000