Premier League Darts Returns With Record-Breaking Edition
Premier League Darts makes its highly anticipated return this week, with organisers expecting over 150,000 attendees for what promises to be the biggest edition in the tournament's history. The event has undergone remarkable transformation since its inception in 2005, when Phil Taylor claimed the inaugural title against Colin Lloyd for a £50,000 prize. Last season saw Luke Humphries lift the trophy with a £275,000 reward, while runner-up Luke Littler secured £125,000.
The evolution extends beyond prize money, with venues shifting from modest locations like Wellsprings Centre in Taunton and Glades Arena in Kidderminster to major international arenas. This year's tournament will feature sell-out crowds at Dublin's 3Arena, Berlin's Uber Arena, and the newly added AFAS Dome in Antwerp. Securing a place in the eight-player field has never carried greater significance, given the substantial rewards and prestige now associated with Premier League participation.
Selection Controversy and Criteria Explained
The announcement of this year's eight competitors - Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting - sparked considerable debate among darts enthusiasts. PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter addressed the selection process in detail, emphasising the comprehensive evaluation approach employed by organisers.
"It tends to happen towards the back end of the World Championship," Porter explained regarding selection timing. "We look at rankings, form, personality and popularity, on-stage presence - it's a whole package. It's not fair when people say, 'oh, he's only in because of his walk-on' or something like that. That's just not the case."
Porter acknowledged that Stephen Bunting's inclusion proved particularly contentious, given his last-place finish in the 2025 tournament and early World Championship exit. "Stephen probably didn't finish the year as strongly as he'd wanted, but he was world-ranked number seven. He won six tournaments across the year. He's a popular player and we felt that jettisoning him after one year probably wasn't the right thing to do."
The PDC chief identified Danny Noppert as the most unfortunate omission, stating: "He had a very valid case and he was very, very unlucky not to be selected." Porter also addressed James Wade's situation, noting his strong start to the year followed by disappointing performances that ultimately affected his selection prospects.
Format Evolution and Repetition Criticism
Regarding the tournament format, Porter confirmed changes would inevitably occur but emphasised current metrics support the existing structure. "We will change it at some point, but at the moment you can only look at the numbers that are in front of you. The live crowd and the TV audience, the numbers are telling us that the format is working."
He acknowledged that the Premier League format has undergone approximately six revisions during its twenty-year history, demonstrating the organisation's willingness to adapt. However, Porter defended the current setup, stating: "At the moment, it's still the right format, we believe, for what we've got."
Addressing criticism from 16-time world champion Phil Taylor about repetitive matchups diminishing rivalry drama, Porter responded: "I would accept that that is the biggest criticism of it. There is a lot of repetition. But you're looking at it through the eyes of somebody who's perhaps watching it on TV every week."
He explained the practical considerations behind fixture scheduling: "If you're in Nottingham, you want to see Littler vs Humphries, and if you're in Aberdeen, you might want to see the same, and if you're in Brighton, you might want to see the same. It's very difficult to turn around to people and say, 'oh, sorry, you can't see the biggest matchup in your city.'"
Record-Breaking Growth and Global Expansion
This year's Premier League represents the most successful edition in terms of ticket sales, with the addition of Antwerp replacing Exeter and providing a larger venue capacity. Porter highlighted the strategic thinking behind this expansion: "We identified Antwerp because of the growth of darts in Belgium over the last few years and we're not a UK company, we're a global company, so the sport needs to be spread."
The PDC's international reach extended to Saudi Arabia last month with the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters. Porter described the experience as "an interesting, interesting place to do an event for the first time," noting the more restrained atmosphere compared to traditional darts venues. He confirmed the organisation plans only one event annually in developing markets like Saudi Arabia, maintaining a measured approach to global expansion.
Future Prize Money and Emerging Talent
Responding to Matchroom president Barry Hearn's ambition for £100 million total prize money with £5 million for the World Championship winner, Porter adopted a pragmatic yet optimistic stance. "I think the key thing is that you never rule anything out. Who'd have thought 10 years ago we'd be paying £1m to the winner of the World Championship?"
He revealed the PDC has increased prize money across all events this year to £25 million total, with aspirations to reach £50 million, £75 million and eventually £100 million as the sport continues its growth trajectory.
Porter expressed particular excitement about the emerging generation of darts talent, describing the current talent base as "frightening." He noted: "The number of teenagers who are throwing 100 averages, 9 dart finishes is remarkable. And it's definitely a young person's sport now."
The PDC maintains detailed analytics tracking player demographics, with Porter revealing: "We have a fascinating spreadsheet which shows the average age of our players, not only our tour card holders, but then our top 8, top 16, top 32, top 64, etc. And it just drops every year."
He attributed this youth movement to darts becoming "a sport that young people are coming into because there's a genuine career path" with minimal barriers to entry, allowing natural talent to flourish regardless of background.
25 Years of Transformation
Reflecting on his quarter-century working with Barry Hearn, from Leyton Orient press officer in 2001 to PDC chief executive today, Porter described the journey as "amazing." He acknowledged the relentless schedule leaves little time for reflection but emphasised the remarkable transformation achieved.
"This is my 25th year working for Barry and if I look at where we are now as a company compared to where we were in 2001, it's a remarkable transformation," Porter stated. "We haven't reinvented the wheel, we've just delivered products that the people want to engage with and enjoy. And at the moment, that's going really well."
As Premier League Darts prepares for its most ambitious season yet, Porter's insights reveal an organisation balancing tradition with innovation, responding to criticism while maintaining record-breaking growth, and nurturing a sport experiencing unprecedented global popularity and youth engagement.
