Players Championship Finals 2026: FAQ

FAQ

When and where do the Players Championship Finals 2026 take place?

The Players Championship Finals 2026 take place from 27 to 29 November 2026 at Butlin's Resort in Minehead (England). Friday and Saturday each feature an afternoon session from 1.45pm and an evening session from 8pm; on Sunday the quarter-finals follow from 1.45pm, the semi-finals from 8pm and the final from 10.45pm.

Who is the defending champion at the PC Finals 2026 – and is he playing?

The defending champion is Luke Littler, who won the 2025 final 11-8 against Nathan Aspinall and claimed his ninth major title just a week after the Grand Slam of Darts. A title defence is off the table, though: Littler has pulled out of the final double event in Leicester, so it is now certain that he will not play at the Players Championship Finals 2026 – with £10,500 he is only 128th in the relevant qualifying ranking. The record winner of the tournament is Michael van Gerwen with seven titles.

How much prize money is there at the darts in Minehead 2026?

The total prize money for the Players Championship Finals rises by £150,000 in 2026, from £600,000 to £750,000. The winner receives £130,000 for the first time, the runner-up £70,000 and the semi-finalists £40,000 each; a first-round defeat is worth £4,000.

What format is played at the PC Finals?

The tournament is played as a knockout with 64 players. Rounds 1 and 2 are Best of 11 Legs, the last 16 and the quarter-finals Best of 19 Legs, while the semi-finals and the final are played as Best of 21 Legs. Since 64 players have been taking part since 2016, the matches in the first three rounds are split across two stages.

How do you qualify for the Players Championship Finals?

The top 64 players in the Players Championship Order of Merit qualify; only the 34 non-televised Players Championship events on the PDC Pro Tour count towards it, and the prize money won there is decisive. The cut-off date is 5 November 2026, i.e. the end of the last two events of the series in Leicester on 4 and 5 November 2026. The regular PDC Order of Merit has no bearing on who gets a spot.

Who is still fighting for the last spots before the darts finals tournament in Minehead 2026?

After Players Championship 32, Wesley Plaisier holds the last qualifying spot with £31,750. Gerwyn Price (58th) has a lead of just £2,250 on £34,000, Mike De Decker (61st) is on £33,250, and Gary Anderson has slipped from 64th to 68th, but is only £2,000 adrift. Also outside the qualifying places are Nathan Aspinall (78th), Josh Rock (80th), Raymond van Barneveld (81st, £25,750) and Peter Wright (86th). The best German is Martin Schindler in 46th, with Ricardo Pietreczko in 73rd.

What does the draw for the Darts Players Championship Finals 2026 look like?

The published bracket (as of 30 October 2026) features first-round ties including Wessel Nijman against Wesley Plaisier, Michael van Gerwen against Joe Hunt, Beau Greaves against Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross against Martin Schindler and Ryan Searle against Gian van Veen. What counts is the Players Championship Order of Merit on the 5 November 2026 cut-off date, so the field can still change until then.

Where are the PDC Players Championship Finals shown on TV and live stream?

In the UK and Ireland, ITV4 broadcasts the tournament. In German-speaking countries, DAZN shows every session live and both stages in a multi-screen feed; the paid PDC.TV live stream additionally carries all matches on the secondary stage, and the event is also free to watch on the DAZN Darts X channel on Pluto TV.