Premier League Darts returns to Belfast on Thursday and Sky Sports will hope to avoid repeating a mistake from last year’s event. Fans at home were left fuming as the live broadcast abruptly cut away to an episode of A League of Their Own.

The SSE Arena hosted Night 1 in Belfast as last season got underway. Luke Humphries was heading towards an opening night victory as he cruised against Chris Dobey in the final. The 31-year-old appeared to be on the verge of clinching the £10,000 prize money and gaining five points when TV coverage suddenly changed to A League of Their Own during the last leg of the match. Fortunately, the error, which primarily impacted Sky Sports Mix and Sky Showcase for around 45 seconds, was fixed before Humphries threw his final arrows.

While the mistake was quickly rectified, the incident still led viewers to voice their frustration on social media. One darts fan wrote on X: “Sky Sports cutting the end of the darts coverage? What an absolute disgrace.”

Another said: “Joke tonight on the logistics. Final game and A League of Their Own pops up. Really?? Ffs.”

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A third addressed the broadcaster: “Why did you decide to switch the Premier League Darts to ‘A League of Their Own’ just as the final comes to a climax? Utterly shambolic. Name the person that thought that was an acceptable thing to do and advise what their punishment will be.”

Humphries sealed his 6-1 triumph over Dobey shortly after Sky Sports had switched back to the action. However, the reigning Premier League champion is still searching for his first night win of the current campaign.

The opening event in Newcastle was claimed by Michael van Gerwen, followed by victories for Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton in Antwerp and Glasgow, respectively. Clayton is top of the standings by a point after three nights, having clinched one victory and reached two semi-finals. Meanwhile, Van Gerwen is set to return in Belfast after missing the Glasgow event through illness.

Humphries joins world champion Luke Littler outside the play-off places on four points, with both men yet to reach a final. The pair will be aiming for a return to top form as Premier League Darts action returns to Belfast.