Premier League Darts

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Premier League Darts, known for sponsorship purposes in 2024 as BetMGM Premier League Darts, is a darts tournament which launched on 20 January 2005 on Sky Sports. Now played weekly from February to May, the event originally started as a fortnightly fixture in small venues around the United Kingdom. The tournament originally featured seven players, gradually expanded to ten by 2013, before reduced again from 2022 to eight players from the Professional Darts Corporation circuit competing in a knockout style format, with nights also hosted in Europe at different venues. The top four players in the PDC Order of Merit are joined by four wildcard selections to make up the eight-person field. Alongside the World Championship and the World Matchplay, it is considered part of the sport's Triple Crown.

While active, Phil Taylor dominated the event, winning six of the thirteen tournaments he appeared in. He went unbeaten throughout the first three seasons before James Wade ended his 44 match run in the first match of the 2008 season. A new champion was to be crowned after Mervyn King defeated him in the 2009 semi-finals, where Wade defeated King 13–8 in the final, to pick up the £125,000 first prize. Taylor defeated Wade the following season to claim his fifth title in the competition in 2010, achieving two nine-dart finishes in the final, the only player to achieve this accomplishment.

Although there have been eight overall winners of the Premier League, the league stage has been dominated by Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, with Taylor topping the table for each of the first eight editions and van Gerwen winning the next seven. In 2020, Glen Durrant became the third player to finish top after all league fixtures had been completed. He went on to win the title, meaning all three players both topped the table and won the play-offs at their first attempt. In 2024, this feat was then repeated by Luke Littler who became the fourth player to both top the table following the completion of the league stage and then win the play-offs on their debut Premier League appearance.

The prize fund has risen from £265,000 in the early years of the tournament, steadily increasing each year for a prize fund of £1,000,000 in 2022. The winner currently receives £275,000.

Television coverage

The matches have been broadcast on Thursday nights on Sky Sports since the tournament inception. Originally the league alternated with Premier League Snooker one week and Premier League Darts the next. From 2006, the snooker moved to late autumn – giving the Premier League darts a straight weekly run in the spring.

American sports channel OLN aired the 2006 Premier League Darts season on a slight delay, in August 2006. In 2018, BBC America started airing Premier League Darts on Thursday nights. In 2020, BBC America started airing Premier League Darts on Sunday mornings.

German sports channel Sport1 broadcasts most matches live on TV and gives coverages of a selection of matches.

The PDC announced in December 2017 that the contract with Sky Television for coverage of the Premier League had been extended to 2025.[1]

Finals

Year Final Tournament
Champion Score Runner-up Best of Venue Prize Fund Sponsors Players Venues League winner
2005 Template:PDCFlag 16–4 Template:PDCFlag 31 legs G-Mex, Manchester £150,000 888.com 7 11 Template:PDCFlag
2006 Template:PDCFlag 16–6 Template:PDCFlag Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth £167,500 Holsten
2007 Template:PDCFlag 16–6 Template:PDCFlag The Brighton Centre, Brighton £265,000 8 15
2008 Template:PDCFlag 16–8 Template:PDCFlag Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff £340,000 Whyte & Mackay
2009 Template:PDCFlag 13–8 Template:PDCFlag 25 legs Wembley Arena, London £405,000
2010 Template:PDCFlag 10–8 Template:PDCFlag 19 legs £410,000
2011 Template:PDCFlag 10–4 Template:PDCFlag 888.com
2012 Template:PDCFlag 10–7 Template:PDCFlag The O2 Arena, London £450,000 McCoy's
2013 Template:PDCFlag 10–8 Template:PDCFlag £520,000 10 Template:PDCFlag
2014 Template:PDCFlag 10–6 Template:PDCFlag £550,000 Betway 16
2015 Template:PDCFlag 11–7 Template:PDCFlag 21 legs £700,000
2016 Template:PDCFlag 11–3 Template:PDCFlag £725,000
2017 Template:PDCFlag 11–10 Template:PDCFlag £825,000
2018 Template:PDCFlag 11–4 Template:PDCFlag Unibet 15Template:Efn
2019 Template:PDCFlag 11–5 Template:PDCFlag 9Template:Efn 16
2020 Template:PDCFlag 11–8 Template:PDCFlag Ricoh Arena, CoventryTemplate:Efn 8Template:Efn Template:PDCFlag
2021 Template:PDCFlag 11–5 Template:PDCFlag Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes £855,000 10 1Template:Efn Template:PDCFlag
2022 Template:PDCFlag 11–10 Template:PDCFlag Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin £1,000,000 Cazoo[2] 8 17 Template:PDCFlag
2023 Template:PDCFlag 11–5 Template:PDCFlag The O2 Arena, London Template:PDCFlag
2024 Template:PDCFlag 11–7 Template:PDCFlag BetMGM Template:PDCFlag
2025 Template:PDCFlag 11–8 Template:PDCFlag

Template:Notelist

Records and statistics

Template:Updated

Total finalist appearances

Rank Player Won Runner-up Finals Appearances
1 Template:PDCFlag 7 2 9 11
2 Template:PDCFlag 6 2 8 13
3 Template:PDCFlag 2 0 2 11
4 Template:PDCFlag 1 2 3 12
5 Template:PDCFlag 1 1 2 2
Template:PDCFlag 1 1 2 2
7 Template:PDCFlag 1 0 1 14
Template:PDCFlag 1 0 1 2
Template:PDCFlag 1 0 1 2
10 Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 3
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 3
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 5
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 2
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 10
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 6
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 9
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 5
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 4
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 3
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 1
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 1
Template:PDCFlag 0 1 1 5
  • Active players are shown in bold
  • Only players who reached the final are included
  • In the event of identical records, players are sorted by date first achieved

Champions by country

Country Players Total First title Last title
Template:Country data England 5 10 2005 2025
Template:Country data Netherlands 2 8 2013 2023
Template:Country data Scotland 1 2 2011 2015
Template:Country data Wales 1 1 2021 2021

Nine-dart finishes

Nineteen nine-dart finishes have been thrown in the Premier League. The first one was in 2006, and the most recent one was in 2025.

Player Year (+ Week) Location Method Opponent Result
Template:PDCFlag 2006, Week 5 Bournemouth 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 8–3
Template:PDCFlag 2010, Week 12 Aberdeen 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 8–6
Template:PDCFlag 2010, Final London T20, 2 x T19; 3 x T20; T20, T17, D18 Template:PDCFlag 10–8
3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12
Template:PDCFlag 2012, Week 2 Aberdeen 3 x T20; T20, 2 x T19; T20, T17, D18 Template:PDCFlag 8–5
Template:PDCFlag 2012, Semi-Final London 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T15, D18 Template:PDCFlag 8–6
Template:PDCFlag 2016, Week 11 Belfast 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 Template:PDCFlag 7–5
Template:PDCFlag 2017, Week 11 Liverpool 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 7–4
Template:PDCFlag 2020, Week 4 Dublin 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 7–5
Template:PDCFlag 2020, Night 11 Milton Keynes 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 6–8
Template:PDCFlag 2021, Night 3 Milton Keynes 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 7–3
Template:PDCFlag 2021, Night 4 Milton Keynes 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 6–6
Template:PDCFlag 2022, Night 3 Belfast 2 x T20, T19; 3 x T20; 2 x T20, D12 Template:PDCFlag 6–5
3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 Template:PDCFlag 6–4
2024, Night 10 Manchester 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 Template:PDCFlag 6–3
Template:PDCFlag 2024, Final London 3 x T20, 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 11–7
Template:PDCFlag 2025, Night 5 Brighton 3 x T20, 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 Template:PDCFlag 4–6
Template:PDCFlag 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T16, D18 Template:PDCFlag 5–6
Template:PDCFlag 2025, Night 7 Cardiff 3 x T20, 3 x T20; T20, T17, D15 Template:PDCFlag 6–4
Template:PDCFlag 2025, Night 10 Manchester 3 x T20, 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 Template:PDCFlag 3-6
2025, Night 15 Aberdeen 3 x T20, 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 Template:PDCFlag 4-6

Tournament records

  • Most titles: 7 – Michael van Gerwen
  • Most tournament appearances: 14 – Raymond van Barneveld
  • Most matches played: 211 – Raymond van Barneveld
  • Longest unbeaten run: 44 matches – Phil Taylor (2005–2008)
  • Biggest victories (league stage): 11–1 Phil Taylor v Wayne Mardle (2005), 11–1 Phil Taylor v Peter Manley (2005)
  • Biggest victories (playoff stages): 16–4 Phil Taylor v Colin Lloyd (2005 final)
  • Most 180s by one player in a single match: 11 – Gary Anderson v Simon Whitlock (2011).[3][4] 11 – José de Sousa v Nathan Aspinall (2021).
  • Most 100+ averages in a season: 18 – Michael van Gerwen (2017). Van Gerwen became the first player to average over 100 in every match of a season.
  • Highest match average: 123.40 – Michael van Gerwen (2016)
  • Highest group stage overall average: 107.95 – Phil Taylor (2012)
  • Lowest group stage overall average: 86.36 – Glen Durrant (2021)
  • Highest average in the final: 112.37 – Michael van Gerwen (2025)
  • Most points in a single season: 45 - Luke Littler (2025)

Whitewashes

Year Player Legs Player
2007 Template:PDCFlagR 0–8 Template:PDCFlag
2008 Template:PDCFlagR 8–0 Template:PDCFlag
2012 Template:PDCFlagR 8–0 Template:PDCFlag
2014 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2015 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2016 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2016 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2017 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2018 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2019 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2020 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2021 Template:PDCFlagR 0–7 Template:PDCFlag
2022 Template:PDCFlagR 6–0 Template:PDCFlag
2023 Template:PDCFlagR 0–6 Template:PDCFlag
2023 Template:PDCFlagR 6–0 Template:PDCFlag
2025 Template:PDCFlagR 6–0 Template:PDCFlag

High averages

Ten highest Premier League one-match averages
Average Player Year (+ Round) Opponent Result
123.40 Template:PDCFlag 2016, Week 4 Template:PDCFlag 7–1
119.50 Template:PDCFlag 2017, Week 5 Template:PDCFlag 7–2
118.43 Template:PDCFlag 2025, Week 10 Template:PDCFlag 6-1
117.95 Template:PDCFlag 2016, Week 10 Template:PDCFlag 7–5
117.35 Template:PDCFlag 2012, Week 4 Template:PDCFlag 8–4
116.90 Template:PDCFlag 2015, Week 12 Template:PDCFlag 7–0
116.67 Template:PDCFlag 2016, Week 5 Template:PDCFlag 7–2
116.10 Template:PDCFlag 2012, Week 13 Template:PDCFlag 8–1
116.01 Template:PDCFlag 2009, Week 12 Template:PDCFlag 8–3
115.97 Template:PDCFlag 2023, Week 11 Template:PDCFlag 6–2
Five highest tournament averages
Average Player Year
107.48 Template:PDCFlag 2016
106.73 Template:PDCFlag 2012
105.26 Template:PDCFlag 2015
104.68 Template:PDCFlag 2017
104.11 Template:PDCFlag 2018

Appearances

Since the tournament made its debut in 2005, Phil Taylor made an appearance in every Premier League competition until his retirement following the 2018 PDC World Darts Championship. Raymond van Barneveld competed in every Premier League from 2006 to 2019. From 2005 until the 2010 tournament, the top six players in the PDC Order of Merit after the PDC World Darts Championship automatically qualified, with one wildcard (2005 and 2006) and two wildcards (2007–2010) chosen by either the PDC or Sky Sports. From the 2011 tournament, only the top four in the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualified, with four wildcards (2011 and 2012) chosen by both the PDC and Sky Sports. In 2013, the tournament grew from eight players to ten, with the top four players in the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualifying and six other players chosen as Wildcards on the basis of their performance in the past year or in earlier editions of the Premier League. In 2022, the tournament shrank back down to eight.

In 2024, both Luke Humphries and Luke Littler have made their debuts, with Littler, aged 17 years and 11 days when the 2024 campaign began, the youngest ever competitor in the Premier League. Littler would also become the youngest player to win the Premier League, aged 17 years and 123 days.

Premier League players and performance

Player # 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Template:PDCFlag 13 Template:Hs W Template:Hs W Template:Hs W Template:Hs W Template:Hs SF Template:Hs W Template:Hs SF Template:Hs W Template:Hs RU Template:Hs SF 5 Template:Hs RU Template:Hs SF Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 3 Template:Hs RU Template:Hs SF 5 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 4 Template:Hs SF 6 6 6 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 3 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs RU 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 1 5 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 3 6 Template:Hs × 8 6 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 4 7 7 Template:Hs × 5 Template:Hs WD Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 14 Template:Hs × Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF 6 Template:Hs SF 5 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs W Template:Hs SF 7 6 6 9 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × 5 Template:Hs × 5 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 5 Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU 7 5 8 7 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 1 Template:Hs × Template:Hs SF Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 10 Template:Hs × 7 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs C 7 Template:Hs RU 6 8 6 6 Template:Hs SF 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 12 Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU Template:Hs W Template:Hs RU 5 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF Template:Hs × 7 6 7 Template:Hs × Template:Hs SF Template:Hs × 6 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU Template:Hs SF Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × 7 Template:Hs × 9 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 6 Template:Hs × Template:Hs SF 6 Template:Hs RU 6 10 Template:Hs × 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 11 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs × Template:Hs W 8 10 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs W Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF Template:Hs WD Template:Hs SF 8 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 1 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs × 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs SF 7 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 1 Template:Hs × 7 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 13 Template:Hs × Template:Hs W Template:Hs RU Template:Hs RU Template:Hs W Template:Hs W Template:Hs W Template:Hs W 6 Template:Hs SF Template:Hs W Template:Hs W Template:Hs SF 5
Template:PDCFlag 3 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs × 5 8 Template:Hs × 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × 9 9 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 11 Template:Hs × 5 9 5 Template:Hs RU 7 8 Template:Hs SF 7 5 8 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 4 Template:Hs × 7 Template:Hs SF 9 5 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × 8 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs × 8
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × 10 Template:Hs × 10 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 7 Template:Hs × 10 Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU 7 7 Template:Hs × 6 SF SF Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 6 Template:Hs × Template:Hs SF Template:Hs RU 9 9 Template:Hs × 6 7
Template:PDCFlag 3 Template:Hs × 5 Template:Hs SF 8 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × 9 6 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 7 Template:Hs × 10 5 5 Template:Hs WD 7 RU 7 Template:Hs SF
Template:PDCFlag 5 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs RU Template:Hs SF Template:Hs × 5 5 Template:Hs SF
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs W 10 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs × 5 Template:Hs × 6 Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 3 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs W Template:Hs SF Template:Hs SF Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 1 Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 1 Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU Template:Hs ×
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs C Template:Hs × 7 Template:Hs × 6
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs C Template:Hs C Template:Hs × Template:Hs RU Template:Hs W
Template:PDCFlag 2 Template:Hs × Template:Hs W Template:Hs RU
Table Legend
W Won in playoffs RU Runner-up SF Lost in the semi-finals # Place in table, not qualified for playoffs
# Place in table, relegated WD Withdrew before tournament WD Withdrew during tournament C Challenger × Did not play

When Gary Anderson withdrew from the 2019 season just before it began, Chris Dobey, Glen Durrant, Steve Lennon, Luke Humphries, John Henderson, Nathan Aspinall, Max Hopp, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Jeffrey de Zwaan were named as "contenders" to play in Anderson's place each of the first eight weeks.[5][6] This format was reused for the 2020 season, with nine regular players and nine challengers; Henderson, Fallon Sherrock, Jonny Clayton, William O'Connor, Humphries, Bunting, Dobey, de Zwaan and Jermaine Wattimena were the challengers.

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Premier League Darts Template:PDC Darts Tournaments

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