Inside the Premier League of Darts: Format, Prize Money, and More

Premier League Darts is one of the biggest and most lucrative tournaments on the calendar boasting a £1 million prize fund. First staged in 2005 and originally touring leisure centres and town halls in the UK, the Premier League of Darts is now a cross-continental event and is held in some of the largest indoor arenas across the UK, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands.

The darts Premier League is played over 17 consecutive Thursday nights from February through to May each year, with eight of the world’s best players competing against each other to determine who is the premier player in the world of darts. The 2024 edition of the Premier League marks the 20th year of the competition and with lots of anticipation too, as PDC World Darts Championship runner-up Luke Littler makes his debut.

Premier League Darts Format & Rules

The Premier League Darts format has undergone many changes during its history, with seven and 10-player line ups, relegations, contenders and challengers all featuring at some point in the first 20 years of its existence. Ahead of the 2022 season, the Premier League Darts new format saw eight players selected and a nightly tournament held every week with points on offer in each game.

The top four players on the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) Order of Merit automatically qualify, which in 2024 was Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall. Those four players are joined by four wildcards, and in 2024 the PDC’s picks were Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Luke Littler.

The first 16 weeks of the competition sees the eight selected players compete in a nightly tournament with all matches played over the best of 11 legs. The current darts Premier League format sees five points awarded to the winner of each night, three points to the runner-up and two points to each of the losing semi-finalists. The four losing quarter-finalists do not score any points.

The points go towards a league table with the top four players after the 16 weeks qualifying for the end of season play-offs, with first playing fourth and second facing third in the semi-finals, which are the best of 19 legs. The Premier League Darts final format is slightly longer with it being the best of 21 legs. The winner of the final is crowned the Premier League Darts champion.

Who is competing in the Premier League of Darts 2024?

(pictured from left to right)

• Peter Wright – 2020 and 2022 PDC world champion
• Rob Cross – 2018 PDC world champion
• Nathan Aspinall – 2023 World Matchplay champion
• Luke Humphries – 2024 PDC world champion
• Michael van Gerwen – 7-time Premier League champion
• Michael Smith – 2023 PDC world champion
• Gerwyn Price – 2021 PDC world champion
• Luke Littler – 2024 PDC World Championship finalist

What is the Premier League Darts prize money?

The Premier League Darts prize money has risen over the years, starting off with a £150,000 total prize pot in 2005 and reaching the £1 million mark in 2022. The £1 million prize fund is split between the eight players, with a £10,000 bonus on offer during each of the first 16 weeks of the tournament. The nightly winner will pocket the bonus each night, whilst the final league standings and the play-offs carries the majority of the prize fund...

Premier League play-offs
Winner - £275,000
Runner-up - £125,000
Semi-finalists - £85,000

Premier League final standings
5th place - £75,000
6th place - £70,000
7th place - £65,000
8th place - £60,000

Schedule & Locations

The Premier League Darts season sees the players compete every Thursday evening in a different city before the champion is crowned in the play-offs. Here’s a look at the schedule for the 2024 Premier League Darts season…

• February 1 – Night 1 - Cardiff (Utilita Arena Cardiff) Night Winner: Michael Smith
• February 8 – Night 2 - Berlin (Mercedes-Benz Arena) Night Winner: Michael van Gerwen
• February 15 – Night 3 - Glasgow (OVO Hydro) Night Winner: Michael van Gerwen
• February 22 – Night 4 - Newcastle (Utilita Arena Newcastle) Night Winner: Michael van Gerwen
• February 29 – Night 5 - Exeter (Westpoint) Night Winner: Nathan Aspinall
• March 7 – Night 6 - Brighton (The Brighton Centre) Night Winner: Luke Humphries
• March 14 – Night 7 - Nottingham (Motorpoint Arena Nottingham) Night Winner: Luke Humphries
• March 21 – Night 8 - Dublin (3Arena) Night Winner: Luke Humphries
• March 28 – Night 9 - Belfast (SSE Arena Belfast) Night Winner: Luke Littler
• April 4 – Night 10 - Manchester (AO Arena) Night Winner: Luke Littler
• April 11 – Night 11 - Birmingham (Utilita Arena Birmingham) Night Winner: Michael van Gerwen
• April 18 – Night 12 - Rotterdam (Rotterdam Ahoy) Night Winner: Nathan Aspinall
• April 25 – Night 13 - Liverpool (M&S Bank Arena) Night Winner: Luke Littler
• May 2 – Night 14 - Aberdeen (P&J Live) Night Winner: Luke Littler
• May 9 – Night 15 - Leeds (First Direct Arena)
• May 16 – Night 16 - Sheffield (Utilita Arena Sheffield)
• May 23 – Play-Offs - London (The O2)

Another year of darts excellence!

With crowds in their thousands flocking to see the world’s best darts players in action, the Premier League of Darts shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. You can watch every dart live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, whilst the PDC’s other worldwide broadcasters include DAZN and Viaplay, and their own PDCTV service means darts fans all over the world can tune in and watch the action unfold.

The 2024 season has already provided plenty of entertainment and it is not too late to get involved. The race to the play-offs will intensify as each week passes and the competition is set for a thrilling finale when the champion is crowned at The O2, in London, this Spring!

Pictures: PDC