Luke Littler: The Young Champion Returns
Luke Littler, the youngest Premier League Darts champion, is back to defend his title with a PDC World Championship win under his belt. His ascension to the top of the darts world has been nothing short of meteoric. The tournament, which began on Thursday, 6 February, features weekly fixtures leading up to the final in London on Thursday, 29 May. Fans can follow live text commentary from each match night on the BBC Sport website, ensuring they don’t miss a single dart.
The Premier League Darts: A Premier Tournament
The Premier League Darts is an annual tournament contested by eight of the world’s top darts players, organized by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The top four players in the world rankings are automatically qualified, while the remaining four spots are awarded as ‘wildcard’ entries. This prestigious event has been running since 2005 and offers a substantial prize pot of £1m, making it one of the most lucrative competitions in the darting world.
How the Premier League Works
Every Thursday, the eight players compete in a straight knockout format. Each player enters at the quarter-final stage, and the matches are played over the best of 11 legs. Points are awarded based on performance: the night’s winner earns five points, the runner-up three points, and each semi-finalist two points. All eight players are re-entered into the tournament each week, ensuring a dynamic and competitive environment. The players will meet each other once at the quarter-final stage from weeks one to seven, and again in weeks nine to 15. The matches in weeks eight and 16 are based on the players’ positions in the league table. By the end of night 16, the top four players qualify for the final play-offs, which take place in London on 29 May.
The Line-Up for 2025
Luke Littler returns to the Premier League as the defending champion, having clinched his first major PDC title in 2024 by defeating Luke Humphries. Humphries, along with PDC World Championship runner-up Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross, who won the Dutch Masters last month, join the line-up. All four qualified through the PDC Order of Merit, the world ranking system for professional darts players. The remaining four spots were awarded as ‘wildcard’ entries to Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey, Nathan Aspinall, and Gerwyn Price. The PDC’s board of directors considers factors such as form, achievements, readiness, experience, and profile when selecting wildcard entries. Michael van Gerwen, the most successful Premier League player with seven titles, is a formidable presence in the competition.
Notable Absences
Despite featuring in the 2024 league, former world champions Peter Wright and Michael Smith are notably absent from this year’s line-up. Dave Chisnall, world number six when the line-up was announced, is the highest-ranked player in the PDC Order of Merit not to feature. World Grand Prix champion Mike de Decker also misses out, marking the first time a major tournament winner has been excluded from the Premier League.
The Prize Money
The Premier League Darts offers a total prize pot of £1m, with the winner taking home £275,000. The runner-up receives £125,000, and semi-finalists earn £85,000 each. The remaining prize money is distributed based on the final positions in the league table, with the fifth-place player receiving £75,000, the sixth-place player £70,000, the seventh-place player £65,000, and the eighth-place player £60,000. Each night’s winner also takes home an additional £10,000, adding to the excitement and competitiveness of each match night.
