The 2025 Premier League season, a prestigious darts competition featuring eight top players from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), kicks off on Thursday, February 6. Following a highly intriguing World Championship where many top players were quickly eliminated, we now look forward to seeing who stands the best chance of winning (or reclaiming) the Premier League title. Only the very best of international darts will be competing—read all about it in this article.
Match Format
The Premier League of Darts begins every year on the first Thursday of February and features a total of sixteen rounds held at various locations across the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany. Every Thursday evening, a mini-tournament takes place, consisting of seven matches per day: four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and a final. Each match, up until the final night, is played in a “best of 11 legs” format.
The better a player performs in these mini-tournaments, the more points they earn for the standings. Points are awarded as follows: the winner of a round earns 5 points, the runner-up gets 3 points, and semifinalists receive 2 points each. This points system creates a comprehensive ranking of all players.
After all 16 rounds, the top four players advance to the playoffs, scheduled for May 29. On that evening, the semifinals and final take place at the O2 Arena in London. During this “Play-off Night,” the semifinals are played in a “best of 19 legs” format, while the final is a “best of 21 legs.” The winner walks away with £275,000 (over €300,000). Even those who don’t win earn a substantial amount: simply being invited to the tournament guarantees at least £60,000. Additionally, there’s a £10,000 bonus for winning a round.
Players
Luke Humphries was immediately selected as the leader of the PDC World Order of Merit. The Englishman proved his skill last week by winning the Winmau World Masters for the first time. Humphries had an excellent year, starting as world champion and going on to win the World Matchplay and PC Finals. He finished second in the Premier League last year.
Luke Littler was also selected as second on the Order of Merit. The 18-year-old Brit won his first world championship earlier this year. His first two tournaments as reigning world champion resulted in a quarterfinal and a semifinal finish. He reached the quarterfinal again at the Winmau World Masters. Both Lukes are top favorites for the title this season due to their consistently strong performances.
Defeated World Championship finalist Michael van Gerwen will have another chance to face the young Luke Littler in this tournament, as the Dutchman was selected as third on the world rankings. Van Gerwen, a three-time world champion and seven-time Premier League winner, has a remarkable track record. He will face Luke Littler on the opening day in a highly anticipated showdown.
The final immediate selection was Rob Cross. The former world champion recently won the Dutch Darts Masters and has consistently performed well across various tournaments. This earned him fourth place on the Order of Merit. Despite some struggles in recent months, he may have the opportunity to shine this year.
Rob Cross faced Stephen Bunting in the Dutch Darts Masters final. Bunting, along with Gerwyn Price, has the potential to compete for weekly victories. When in good form, Bunting is a formidable opponent. Price, on the other hand, has never been a Premier League standout but seems highly motivated to prove he still belongs among the world’s best.
Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall are also competing this year. If either makes it to the playoffs, it would be a surprise. Dobey often falls just short against top players, while Aspinall is dealing with an injury. Their Premier League campaign seems doomed from the start.
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