October 25, 2023: The Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT), the official Pro Tour of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), is thrilled to announce a new agreement with the European Pro Tour (EPT) to create a singular unified European tour called DGPT Europe. PDGA Europe, which has operated the PDGA Euro Tour, is in support of this new partnership.


Under the new agreement, the European Pro Tour has merged with the DGPT, and their leadership team will continue in leadership roles with DGPT Europe. Juha Kytö (former EPT CEO) has been named the DGPT Europe Media Director, and Mikko Wikman (former Tour Director for the EPT) will serve as a DGPT Europe Operations Manager. Additionally, Leiv Aspén (TD of the Krokhol Open), will also join DGPT Europe in a part-time capacity in operations management.


Central to this partnership is the merger of the European Pro Tour's live streaming service, Disc Golf Stream, with the DGPT's Disc Golf Network. Disc Golf Stream will undergo a subscriber migration with the Disc Golf Network this off-season, and DGN will host all 2024 live broadcasts.


The PDGA Euro Tour, which is the professional competition arm of PDGA Europe, will pause its independent PDGA Euro Tour Open Divisions series, opting instead to support DGPT Europe. This collaboration is intended to develop support similar to that provided by the Global and U.S. PDGA Operations and Logistics team for DGPT events in the United States. DGPT Europe looks forward to exploring how PDGA Europe could extend similar support to DGPT Europe events in their respective countries. 


“We believe that this agreement is the right direction, and we will support it with our expertise for the integral growth of our beloved game in Europe,” said Antti Taronen, PDGA Europe Board of Directors President. 


“We’re excited to continue to work with PDGA Europe in 2024 by expanding and supporting the great effort they have made to take professional disc golf to the next phase in Europe,” said Jeff Spring, DGPT CEO. 


"This collaboration marks the beginning of a new era for professional disc golf in Europe,” continued Spring. “By pooling resources and expertise from several major players in the disc golf community, we aim to deliver an unmatched experience for fans and players alike as the European disc golf market continues to grow and develop. We’re thrilled to bring in the entrepreneurial passion and expertise of Juha, Mikko and Leiv to this new effort. They have helped launch the growth of professional disc golf across the continent and will help lead the continued evolution.”


“The DGPT and the European Pro Tour both originated with a singular vision: elevating professional disc golf. This unification signifies a shared dedication to that foundational goal,” said Juha Kytö, formerly the CEO of EPT and now transitioning to Director of Media for DGPT Europe. “As we unite under this shared goal, we're also merging the vast array of talents and expertise that have been a part of the European Pro Tour, PDGA Euro Tour, and PDGA Majors in Europe. With Mikko Wikman concentrating solely on Operations, I'm thrilled to spearhead our media efforts. Collaborating closely with the seasoned team at Disc Golf Network, I'm eager to pool together European stakeholders to enhance and amplify our media offerings. Fans can anticipate not only a broader range of coverage but also a heightened quality.


The European Pro Tour was funded in part by Prodigy Europe, and their team contributed immensely to the development of the EPT since its inception. Prodigy and the DGPT have also struck a deal as part of this new agreement, and their leadership will continue to advise the DGPT in an effort to see the European market flourish. “It has been a pleasure to work and plan with Lasse Paju, and we’re excited to have the leadership of him and his team to help guide this new venture,” said Spring. 

 
“I want to thank everyone involved over the last two seasons,” said Lasse Paju, CEO of Prodigy Disc Europe. “Working with such a committed team and outstanding partner network has been rewarding. We're excited about this new collaboration. Together, I'm confident we’ll develop disc golf even faster in Europe.” 


DGPT Europe Starts in 2024 - Everything You Need to Know

In a significant development for professional disc golf, the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) has joined hands with the European Pro Tour (EPT) to unveil a united European tour for 2024, named DGPT Europe. This unification aims to further enhance professional disc golf in Europe and promises an elevated experience for enthusiasts and players. Read the full announcement here

Q: What does this mean for the European Pro Tour?

A: The European Pro Tour (EPT), a lead competition organizer in Europe, has merged with the DGPT. Leadership from EPT, including Juha Kytö (former CEO) and Mikko Wikman (former Tour Director), will continue in key roles with DGPT Europe as the Media Director and Operations Manager, respectively. 

Q: What’s the role of PDGA Europe in DGPT Europe?

A: The PDGA Euro Tour, which PDGA Europe managed, will pause its independent PDGA Euro Tour Open Divisions series, which was covered by the Disc Golf Network in 2023. Beginning in 2024, they will instead opt to fill a supporting role for DGPT Europe, offering assistance similar to the Global and U.S. PDGA Operations and Logistics teams in the U.S. The DGPT is grateful for PDGA Europe’s continued support and looks forward to a fruitful 2024 season. 

Q: How are the DGPT Europe events classified? 

A: DGPT Europe events will have two standard classifications for the 2024 season. 

  1. DGPT Europe Standard Events (simply referred to as a “DGPT Europe Events). These are worth 100 points for a win and are sanctioned as PDGA Elite Series.
  2. DGPT Europe Silver. These are worth 50 points for a win and are sanctioned as PDGA A-tiers. 

Q: How will the points work for DGPT Europe Events? 

A: Here’s how the points standings will work for the DGPT in 2024:

  • DGPT will have two point standings next season: DGPT World Standings (which determines spots for the 2024 DGPT Championship) and a separate DGPT Europe points standings.
  • There won’t be an independent Tour Championship for DGPT Europe in 2024. Instead, the European points will be used to give bonus payouts and 2025 Tour Cards to top players at the end of the season.
  • The five Standard DGPT Europe events (with 100% points weight) will count points for both the DGPT World and European standings and will be broadcast live on the Disc Golf Network.
  • The DGPT Europe Silver Events (with 50% points weight) will only add points to the European standings and won't be shown live on the Disc Golf Network.

Q: What’s up with Silver Events in Europe? Didn’t DGPT get rid of the Silver Event designation?


A: DGPT did recently announce the retirement of the Silver Event event class in the U.S., but Europe's a different playground. DGPT Europe is keeping Silver Events on the 2024 calendar to help boost the sport and create a well-rounded tour schedule. Here’s some more info on why and how Silver Events are still being sanctioned in Europe. 

"Having determined that it’s time to set aside Silver Events and shift our focus to developing a qualifying series in the U.S., we recognize that the European market still requires Silver Events to help grow and sustain a balanced Tour. While we expect the European market also to reach a similar point in the future, Silver Events will continue to be a part of DGPT’s growth strategy as they provide additional competition opportunities between standard Tour stops and will allow DGPT Europe to develop more relationships with top-level courses and organizers.” 

  • Jeff Spring, DGPT CEO


Q: What about media coverage and streaming?

A: The European Pro Tour owns and operates Disc Golf Stream, which is a live-streaming subscription service similar to the Disc Golf Network. As a part of this unification, Disc Golf Stream will merge with the Disc Golf Network. All current annual Disc Golf Stream subscribers will be transferred to the Disc Golf Network this off-season. Monthly DGS subscribers are recommended to subscribe to DGN and cancel any ongoing DGS subscription.

2024 DGPT events, including the Standard DGPT Events (PDGA Elite Series) in Europe, will be shown LIVE on the Disc Golf Network. DGPT Europe Silver Events won’t receive live coverage. In addition to LIVE coverage, DGPT Europe plans to work with local media entities to provide next-day post-production coverage on YouTube.