The Brief
Betfred wanted to make the World Matchplay bigger from a branding perspective, extending its presence beyond the arena itself and deeper into the wider fan experience across one of darts’ most historic venues.
Our Solution
Working within the Empress Ballroom’s unique historic setting, we extended the tournament’s branding beyond the main stage and into two key areas of the fan experience: the Players’ Bar and the Fanzone. The focus throughout was atmosphere, creating spaces where a diverse crowd of fans felt comfortable, engaged and genuinely part of the occasion, not just spectators to it. Branded fan zones ran at capacity throughout the tournament, with engagement levels among the highest across the event, while the redesigned Players’ Bar gave Betfred a stronger, more consistent presence in one of the venue’s most valued spaces. 1,376 tasks were delivered across the tournament, reflecting the scale of work behind branding this historic venue. The result was a more immersive Betfred presence throughout the venue, an outcome recognised directly by Winter Gardens, who were particularly pleased with the additional branded areas, especially the Players’ Bar.
The Results
1,376 tasks delivered across the 2026 Betfred World Matchplay, the 33rd staging of the tournament, played out over nine days at the iconic Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens. The tournament welcomed 20,000+ attendees, with expanded branding across the Players’ Bar and Fanzone extending Betfred’s presence beyond the main stage itself, with engagement among the highest of the event. Defending champion Luke Littler retained his title in a tournament that produced a record-breaking 66 maximums and a historic nine-dart finish, the first perfect leg ever thrown in the first leg of a ranking major.
“Betfred first engaged Allertons when we decided to enter into the world of horse-race sponsorship in April 2004. Since that time, we have worked together closely on a variety of sports notably the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, World Matchplay Darts in Blackpool and Scottish League (Betfred) Cup. Twenty years later we find ourselves still collaborating on all five British Classics which is a testament to the relationship we have maintained with the team over such a long period of time. Throughout, Allertons have consistently delivered a quality product at a competitive budget and we would not hesitate to recommend them to any company wishing to promote its brand.”
— Chris Miller, Sponsorship Manager, Betfred
