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.