Jacqui Oatley has bid farewell to ITV after more than ten years with the network. A seasoned commentator and presenter, Oatley has been a familiar face covering football and darts for the prominent broadcaster.
In a groundbreaking move 18 years ago, the 50-year-old became the first female commentator on BBC’s renowned program Match of the Day. Throughout the years, she has maintained her presence at both the BBC and Sky Sports, in addition to ITV.
However, Oatley’s tenure at ITV has concluded following the conclusion of the Players Championship Finals. Having been part of the channel’s free-to-air darts coverage for over a decade, she confirmed her departure on Monday, expressing her sentiments as “very sad.”
Taking to social media, she shared her final thoughts, highlighting her experiences over the past decade with ITV Sport, including presenting football during major events like Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018, alongside extensive darts coverage. She expressed deep gratitude for the exceptional production team she collaborated with, praising their dedication to delivering quality content for viewers.
While ITV will continue to broadcast darts on ITV4 and ITVX, the coverage will now be overseen by Matchroom, led by Eddie Hearn. Colleague Stuart Pyke also bid farewell to the ITV sports team, acknowledging the end of an era after 17 years of collaboration on darts coverage.
In addition to Oatley’s departure, ITV has also parted ways with seasoned cycling and darts commentator Ned Boulting. Boulting expressed gratitude to his colleagues at ITV after his long association with the channel, marking the end of his work on the Tour de France and PDC Darts.
ITV is set to continue showcasing various tournaments, including the European Championship Finals, Players Championship Finals, and World Masters. On the other hand, Sky Sports has sealed a new five-year deal to broadcast major events like the World Championship, World Cup of Darts, Premier League, and Grand Slam.
Niall Sloane, ITV’s director of sport, recently announced the network’s commitment to expanding and extending its live darts coverage, ensuring that key professional darts events remain accessible to UK audiences. The Professional Darts Corporation also expressed enthusiasm over the extended partnership with ITV, emphasizing the importance of offering free-to-air coverage of popular events to darts fans in the UK.
Sky has introduced a discounted Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the upcoming season, providing significant savings and access to over 1,400 live matches across various sports leagues. With a robust lineup of live broadcasts, including Premier League matches, Formula 1, darts, and golf, Sky continues to enhance its sports offerings for viewers.
