Games, costumes, calendars and more on the way
Iconic darts game show and brand Bullseye has won another four licensing deals in the year of its triumphant return to its original home on ITV.
Bulldog Licensing, which licenses the brand in the UK on behalf of Bullseye Group, has announced Bullseye partnerships in interactive games, costume characters, calendars, and – of course – darts games.
Currently in development is a new offering from Barnstorm Games. The company is a specialist in high-quality, family-friendly games for handheld devices, and develops and publishes apps for top TV production companies and world famous brands. It’s very first Bullseye offering will capture the combination of skill and general knowledge that makes the game so appealing via specially designed apps playable on mobiles. The Bullseye game will be available on the Apple App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.
Of course Bullseye is not just famous for its games. Its mascot for over 40 years has been the instantly recognisable friendly darts-playing bull Bully – and Bully is now available for hire as a costume character from Rainbow Productions.
This is an important partnership with a global leader in manufacturing bespoke mascot costumes and organising licensed character events. Rainbow Productions is unique in offering a complete mascot manufacture, wardrobe and costume character events management service, one that includes purposely designed units, support staff, costume makers and trained mascot artistes. It’s also a 2025 King’s Award for Enterprise winner.
And speaking of Bully, he will also appear on a new offering from Portico Designs, an independent publisher and wholesaler of design-led gifts. Portico will launch its 2027 Bullseye Calendar at multiple UK retail outlets in 2026.
Design concepts are still under wraps, but expect to see the TV show’s stars, logos and catchphrases, and, of course, Bully highlighted in this, the first ever Bullseye calendar.
For anyone who likes creative new takes on the game of darts itself, look no further than Dartskins – Games with Darts, specially designed robust, tear-resistant, long lasting fabric game skins that fit to any standard dartboard, transforming it into a games arena for all to play a variety of games, like golf, cricket, poker and 8 ball, all adapted for darts. And now it’s the turn of the legendary quiz show that first brought together darts and general knowledge!
The latest Dartskins launch brings Bullseye into homes on an ingeniously designed skin that gives dartboards a touch of Bullseye magic along with a digital question and answer system. The new Bullseye Dartskins will be available online and at specialist outlets from early ’26.
These partnerships join the many major licence awards built on the enduring popularity of the show. They include gifting, dress-up, wall art, books, coin-pusher machines, apparel, bingo, publishing and food and drink, as well as Bullseye-themed darts, flights, shirts, cases, mats, dartboards and apps. There’s also a Bullseye online store, and formats adapted for holiday resorts and homes.
And many more licence announcements are imminent in 2026 after what proved to be an amazing year for the iconic darts brand created by writer Andrew Wood that first aired on ITV in the 1980s. It spent 14 years on ITV, after which a revival on Sky Challenge, regular repeat showings, guest appearances, celebrity specials and a social media launch maintained a high level of brand awareness throughout the 2000s.
Andrew passed away last year at the age of 91, but not before he saw the triumphant return of his creation to ITV. Following the massive success of the 2024 Bullseye Christmas special, hosted by Freddie Flintoff and featuring teenage darts phenomenon Luke Littler, Freddie and official scorer Richard Ashdown returned in a brand-new series. Millions of fans old and new tuned in, placing the show at the top of ITV’s ratings charts and enjoying this unique show, synonymous with fun, celebrity players and its many catchphrases in which contestants consisting of one amateur darts player and one trivia or quizzing expert, play to win Bully’s special prizes.
Led by Luke Littler’s success, the brand is also building on a growing youth market for darts and darts-related products. Bullseye was recently announced as a sponsor of the Blackburn Youth Darts Academy and products perfect for the younger audience are set to hit stores through 2026.
Laura Wood, Managing Director, Bullseye Group, says: “The Bullseye brand has always enjoyed strong awareness and appeal but its return to ITV has taken its popularity to another level. These four best-in-class licensees will bring the fun, skill, unmistakable imagery of the show, along with much-loved mascot Bully, to superb calendars, mascot costumes, and both virtual and real games. And there’s much more to come very soon!”
Bulldog MD Rob Corney adds: “It’s a great honour to work with Laura, continuing her dad’s legacy in delivering the iconic brand he created in new ways, to excite fans of all ages. These deals once again show the wide appeal of the Bullseye name and associations across a widening selection of licensing categories. With awareness still growing we are already expecting many further additions to the campaign in 2026 after a stunning 2025. The turn of the year gives us all a chance to raise a glass to Andrew Wood, a great man and the creator of one of the best-loved brands in entertainment.”