Premier League Darts 2026

5 February – 28 May 2026 · 16 Arenen, Play-Offs: The O2 Arena, UK, Irland & Europa; Finale: London

The 2026 Premier League Darts was the 22nd edition of the PDC invitational tournament and was played over 17 nights from 5 February to 28 May 2026. Luke Littler won the final at London's O2 Arena 11-10 against defending champion Luke Humphries.

The 2026 Premier League Darts – staged as the 2026 BetMGM Premier League for sponsorship reasons – was the 22nd edition of the invitational tournament run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The tournament began on 5 February 2026 at the Newcastle Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne and ended on 28 May 2026 with the play-offs at the O2 Arena in London. In all, the season covered 17 nights in cities in Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and – for the first time – Belgium: the AFAS Dome in Antwerp replaced Westpoint Exeter on the calendar. Gian van Veen and Josh Rock made their Premier League debuts. The prize money rose from £1,000,000 to £1,250,000 as part of the biggest prize money increase in PDC history. The champion received £350,000, the beaten finalist £170,000, and every night winner in the league phase pocketed an extra £10,000. The format used was the one introduced in 2022: eight players, 16 league nights in a knockout format, followed by the play-offs of the top four. Jonny Clayton and Luke Littler shaped the league phase. Clayton won his opening match in each of the first six weeks and took two of those nights for himself; by the end of the season he had four night wins and second place in the table. Littler still struggled in the first four weeks, but then won three of the four nights between night five and night eight, took over top spot at the halfway stage and, with six night wins in the end, equalled his own record from the previous year. Debutant Gian van Veen reached the final three times in the first four nights, but after week six had to go to hospital with kidney stones, missed night seven and finished seventh. Josh Rock lost his first seven matches, but in front of his home crowd in Belfast he produced the highlight of the season with its only nine-darter – in his 2-6 defeat by Van Veen. Luke Humphries was outside the play-off places after twelve weeks, then reached the final on all four remaining nights, won night 15 and secured third place. Stephen Bunting won night four and another final on night 16, which pushed him up to fifth. The last play-off ticket went to Gerwyn Price, who came out on top against Michael van Gerwen. In the first semi-final Littler already led Price 9-4, missed six match darts and, after 9-9, had to go into the deciding 19th leg, which he won. The second semi-final also went to a 19th leg: Humphries came back from 7-9 against Clayton – including with a 121 checkout – and, after a missed match dart from the Welshman, hit the decisive Double. In the third final in a row between Littler and Humphries, Humphries led 6-3 with visits of 134, 112 and 121, before Littler levelled at 7-7 after 14 legs. Littler took Humphries' throw in the 19th leg to go 10-9 up, then missed a match dart and it went to 10-10, but he won the last leg for 11-10 and with it his second Premier League title.

At a glance

  • Edition: 22nd Premier League Darts since the 2005 premiere
  • Organiser: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
  • Sponsor name: 2026 BetMGM Premier League
  • Participants: 8 players
  • Match days: 17 nights: 16 league nights plus play-off night
  • Winner: Luke Littler (11:10 against Luke Humphries)
  • Defending champion: Luke Humphries (2025 winner, 11:8 against Luke Littler)
  • Debutants: Gian van Veen and Josh Rock
  • New venue: AFAS Dome in Antwerp – Belgium in the calendar for the first time, replacing Westpoint Exeter
  • Nine-darter: Josh Rock on night 4 in Belfast in the 2:6 defeat against Gian van Veen
  • Total prize money: £1,250,000 (previous year: £1,000,000)
  • Final league standings: 1. Luke Littler 43 points, 2. Jonny Clayton 34, 3. Luke Humphries 27, 4. Gerwyn Price 26, 5. Stephen Bunting 18, 6. Michael van Gerwen 18, 7. Gian van Veen 18, 8. Josh Rock 8
  • Match date: The nights took place on Thursdays, usually starting at 20:00; the evenings in Antwerp, Berlin and Rotterdam started at 19:00
  • Winner's earnings: Including the bonuses for his six night wins, Luke Littler received a total of £410,000, with finalist Luke Humphries taking £180,000

Related rankings

FAQ

When and where did the Premier League Darts 2026 take place?

The tournament ran from 5 February to 28 May 2026 across 17 Thursday evenings. It opened at the Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the play-offs took place on 28 May at the O2 Arena in London.

Who won the Darts Premier League 2026?

Luke Littler won the Premier League Darts 2026 final 11-10 against defending champion Luke Humphries, taking his second title after 2024. It was the third final in a row between the two Englishmen.

How much prize money was there at the PDC Premier League 2026?

A total of £1,250,000 was paid out – up from £1,000,000 the year before. The winner received £350,000, the runner-up £170,000 and the semi-finalists £110,000 each; every night win brought an extra £10,000 bonus.

What format is the Premier League Darts played in?

Eight invited players contested a knockout mini-tournament on each of the 16 match nights, with four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final. A night win was worth five points, the losing finalist got three and semi-finalists two; the top four reached the play-offs. The league phase was played over Best of 11 Legs, the play-off semi-finals over Best of 19 and the final over Best of 21 Legs.

Where was the BetMGM Premier League 2026 shown on TV and stream?

In the UK and Ireland Sky Sports broadcast it, in Germany Sport1 showed every match night in full live, and DAZN streamed it in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For subscribers outside these countries the Premier League Darts 2026 was available on PDCTV; other broadcasters included Viaplay (Netherlands) and VTM (Belgium).

How do you qualify for the PDC Premier League?

The top four in the PDC Order of Merit after the World Championship are in automatically – in 2026 those were Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen. The other four places are awarded by the PDC together with Sky Sports as wildcards; they went to Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price and were announced on 5 January 2026.

Was there a nine-darter at the Premier League Darts 2026?

Yes, Josh Rock threw the only nine-darter of the season on 26 February 2026 in Belfast during his 2-6 defeat to Gian van Veen. It was the 22nd perfect leg in Premier League history; Rock received a set of gold darts worth £30,000 for it.

How did the Darts Premier League 2026 table finish after 16 match nights?

Luke Littler finished the league phase in first place with 43 points and six night wins, ahead of Jonny Clayton (34), Luke Humphries (27) and Gerwyn Price (26). Next came Stephen Bunting, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen with 18 points each, plus Josh Rock on 8 points.

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