Luke Littler is preparing to defend his Premier League title, with Belfast set to host the opening night of the 2025 darting roadshow.
The young prodigy clinched victory in last year’s tournament, defeating then-world champion Luke Humphries in the final and achieving a nine-dart finish. Having recently replaced Humphries as world champion, Littler is tipped to retain his title.
However, current world No.1 Humphries, seven-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen and the other contenders are expected to provide stiff competition throughout the 17-week tournament, which spans the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.
Scottish darts fans haven’t got long to wait for their first taste of action as Glasgow’s OVO Hydro hosts night two on February 13. On night 15, it will be Aberdeen’s turn at P&J Live.
The opening night on Thursday in Northern Ireland will feature a rematch of the World Championship final between Littler and Van Gerwen in the quarter-finals. Here’s all you need to know about the 2025 Premier League, including the line-up, format and prize money…
Line-up
The eight-player line-up is half determined by the PDC’s Order of Merit, with the top four on the list being automatically selected – Humphries, Littler, Van Gerwen, and Rob Cross. The remaining four players are wildcard picks chosen by the PDC.
As the Premier League serves as a showcase for darts, high-profile players who can draw crowds and viewers are often selected over those higher up in the rankings. Stephen Bunting, who ranks fifth on the list, made the cut following a strong 2024 performance, joining Chris Dobey, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall. But top players such as Scottish hero Peter Wright, Jonny Clayton and Dave Chisnall missed out.
Format
For the fourth year running, the Premier League will host a mini tournament each night, featuring quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. The victor of each night bags five points, while the runner-up garners three and the semi-finalists each secure two.
After 16 weeks, the top four players in the league advance to the play-offs at London’s O2 on May 29, with the first-ranked player facing off against the fourth, and the second squaring off against the third in the semi-finals.
Prize money
The Premier League boasts an impressive overall prize fund of £1million, making it one of the most rewarding events in darts. Each nightly winner before the play-offs pockets £10,000.
The overall champion walks away with £275,000, the runner-up nets £125,000 and the losing semi-finalists earn £85,000. Players who don’t make the play-offs receive the following: Fifth place: £75,000; Sixth place: £70,000; Seventh place: £65,000; Eighth place: £60,000.
How to watch
Sky Sports, which has extended its long-standing deal with the PDC until 2030, will once again be broadcasting the Premier League coverage. For those without a Sky Sports subscription, the action can be streamed via the Sky-owned NOW service, offering daily and monthly passes.
If that doesn’t suit your fancy, Sky has made the first night in Belfast accessible on the free-to-air channel Sky Mix, with coverage kicking off at 7pm on Thursday.