Some of the world's top darts players are set to compete via video call across 32 consecutive nights of live action as part of the first Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Home Tour.

The tournament, due to launch on Friday (April 17), has been created to fill the void left by the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced a near total shutdown of sport worldwide.

Four players will compete each night, with the 32 group winners advancing to the second stage of the competition.

Action will be shown for free on the PDCTV platform and on a series of bookmakers' websites.

The PDC Home Tour has been established following the success of the Darts At Home events, which involved nine players competing across two nights in a mini-league format.

"Firstly, I would like to thank all our incredible NHS staff who continue to save lives in the most difficult circumstances, we all owe an immense amount of gratitude to our key workers," said PDC chairman Barry Hearn.

"It gives me great excitement that we are able to deliver live darts to fans in these unprecedented times.

"We’ve spent the last few weeks planning and looking at what is possible, and I’m delighted to be able to present a concept which gives all Tour Card Holders the opportunity to take part.

"The PDC Home Tour will provide a regular supply of live sport to fans, showcasing the talent and unique characters of our players to both existing and new audiences.

"The event will also give players a chance to play competitive darts in this down period in preparation for the return to normal action, whenever that may be."

According to latest figures, the COVID-19 virus has infected more than two million people and killed over 128,000 worldwide.

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Since joining insidethegames.biz in 2015, Liam Morgan has reported on location from several international multi-sport events, including the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and three Youth Olympic Games. 

Liam covers the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meetings and Sessions, and has also provided coverage on several International Federation elections and Congresses, including FIFA and ANOC.

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For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody. 

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Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since. 

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Every contribution, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our worldwide coverage in the year ahead. Our small and dedicated team were extremely busy last year covering the re-arranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretched our tight resources to the limit. 

2022 is not going to be any less busy, or less challenging. We have the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, where we are sending a team of four reporters, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Summer World University and Asian Games in China, the World Games in Alabama and multiple World Championships. Plus, of course, there is the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

Unlike many others, insidethegames.biz is available for everyone to read, regardless of what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe that sport belongs to everybody, and everybody should be able to read information regardless of their financial situation. While others try to benefit financially from information, we are committed to sharing it with as many people as possible. The greater the number of people that can keep up to date with global events, and understand their impact, the more sport will be forced to be transparent.

Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10 - it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.