"If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it" - Barry Hearn hints no Premier League Darts revamp until 2028

The Premier League Darts could well adopt a completely different format from 2028. Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn hinted at this during the World Matchplay in Blackpool. According to the 78-year-old Brit, there is growing recognition within the PDC that it is time to consider a fresh impetus for the organization’s flagship, although he expects the current format to remain in place in 2027.

The future of the Premier League is on the agenda Tuesday during a PDC board meeting in Blackpool. Among other things, they will discuss the growing criticism in recent years of the tournament’s current setup. The Premier League is currently contested by eight players who play a mini-tournament each of sixteen league nights. In the first seven league nights and again from nights nine through fifteen, all players meet in a knockout system, after which the top four ranked darters qualify for the playoffs.

Although the concept remains commercially very successful, criticism is increasingly heard from both players and supporters. Among others, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price have previously spoken out about the current format. Supporters feel the weekly nights are becoming too similar, while players point to the grueling travel schedule, partly because the Premier League now tours eight different countries.

According to Hearn, the format is therefore evaluated every year. “We look at the format every year,” he says to The Sun. Still, he warns against rushing changes. “The problem is, a maximum of five per cent are hardcore die hard fans. 95 per cent of them just turn up for a night out."

That the Premier League remains extraordinarily popular is evident from the attendance figures, Hearn says. “Last year in the Premier League we sold out 99.28% of tickets, which is unthinkable.”

That is precisely why the organization is cautious about drastic changes. “There is that good old phrase, ‘If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it’.”

Even so, Hearn certainly does not rule out changes in the medium term. “It’s something that will be discussed at our board meeting [Tuesday] in Blackpool.”

His expectation is that the current format will remain for one more season. “My gut feeling is at least one more year with the same format, then we’ll have to see.”

Hearn believes it is important to keep the Premier League attractive. “It’s something that we constantly look at to keep it fresh,” And he feels the moment for change is drawing closer. “And it’s probably – my gut feeling again – reaching that stage where we might need to refresh it.”

Beyond the format debate, Hearn sees another consequence of the enormous growth darts has experienced in recent years. Because prize money has risen sharply, top players are less dependent on every single tournament. “When your ticket sales are of such enormous value… that’s a huge part of the income of darts, is the actual ticket sales.”

According to Hearn, the sport is therefore in excellent health. “[The sport] is in a really good place,” However, that also brings new challenges. “What I’m seeing now is amazing. The players are earning too much money.”

By that he doesn’t mean prize money should go down, but rather that top players increasingly have the luxury of skipping events. “That’s proven by the fact that all of a sudden these players are saying, ‘I’ll skip that, I’ll skip that, I’ll skip that’.”

According to Hearn, that would have been unthinkable in the past. “And it’s never happened before because everyone’s been so hungry to earn. The players used to say, ‘we want more tournaments’. But now the prize money’s gone way up – and quite rightly so."

Now that prize money has risen sharply, Hearn observes a development he compares with other elite sports. As a result, players now make deliberate choices.

“They’re now doing what golfers do, they’re working to a schedule,” He cites reigning world champion Luke Littler as an example. “Luke Littler says, ‘I don’t want to go to Australia or New Zealand this year. I’ll have a year off because I want to have a holiday, because I want to bounce and be ready’."

Hearn believes that is a sign that darts has matured. “I think that’s a huge compliment to them.” At the same time, he acknowledges that this presents new questions for the PDC. “Yes [that makes it a challenge] but that’s what we’re there for, to try and solve problems. Success can create problems as much as failure.”