World Darts Championship could be set for huge change nobody saw coming and it may be unpopular

The PDC World Darts Championship could be set for a major change - and it may not be popular with fans.

This year's darting extravaganza gets underway on December 15 at the Alexandra Palace, with reigning champion Luke Humphries featuring on the first night as is tradition.

It could be one of the most competitive championships in many years, with usual frontrunners Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen both having difficult seasons by their own high standards.

Belgian player Mike De Decker was a shock winner of the World Grand Prix last month, with the likes of De Decker, Ritchie Edhouse, Martin Schindler and Gian van Veen are all seeded after enjoying impressive seasons.

The action will, as ever, be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with all sessions being available to watch live from December 15.

Sky has partnered with the PDC since its inception all the way back in 1993, and has shown all the major tournaments.

Darts has sharply risen in popularity in recent years, and it is now Sky's second most-popular sport in terms of viewing figures behind football.

According to The Telegraph, it is that which could cost it the hosting rights to darts' biggest tournament, with this World Championship being the final one of Sky's existing deal.

It is claimed that PDC chairman Barry Hearn values the contract, which currently stands at £12 million, at 'around £45 million a year', with Netflix and Amazon both said to be keen to prise the rights away from Sky.

Luke Humphries is the reigning PDC world champion (Image: Getty)

The report adds that Sky have yet to reach an agreement over a longer deal.

SPORTbible has contacted Sky for comment.

While some fans may not like a move away from darts' current home due to the high quality of coverage on Sky, it remains to be seen whether another broadcaster would offer cheaper subscription prices in the event that they won the rights.

This is not the first time that Matchroom - the company that promotes darts - has made significant noises about the future of one of its sports.

Hearn has repeatedly called on Sheffield City Council, who own the Crucible Theatre that hosts snooker's World Championship, to do more in order to ensure that the sport continues to play at the iconic venue.

He said in October: "The Crucible is not fit for purpose. When you go backstage, today's audience wants different things. They want more space. The players want more space. They want more practice room, extra tables. The press and the media want to have more, the list goes on.

"I want to stay in Sheffield, and I've told Sheffield City Council numerous occasions over the last few years. They have three more years. I will move.

"They have a job to do ... we're mainstream, and they have to accept that we're mainstream. I need three thousand tickets per session, not eight hundred, as part of my plan to keep the World Championships in England."