"It would be a real statement to the world of sport" - Luke Humphries applauds plans by Barry Hearn to raise prize money for World Championship winner to £1 million
PDCPDC chairman Barry Hearn has dreamed for some time of raising the prize money for the winner of the World Darts Championship to £1 million. That dream is getting closer after Sky Sports and the PDC struck a £125 million deal to extend their partnership until 2030. That would be worth more than twice as much as the previous contract.
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Former world champion Luke Humphries is already applauding Hearn's plans. "It's something [£1m to the world champion] that's Barry's always wanted to happen in this sport. He's been an advocate for it for many years," Humphries said.
"It would be a real statement to the world of sport, and I do think it will happen. It would be a magical moment for darts. We [the PDC] started off at something like £12,000."
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The winner of the first-ever PDC World Championship in 1993, Dennis Priestley, received 16,000 pounds before it dropped to 12,000 pounds in 1995, when Phil Taylor won the crown.
The world No. 1 added: "Then, when it got up to £100,000 [in 2006], everyone was like, 'wow, this is incredible!' Can you imagine 10 times that? It would be a massive statement from the PDC and it just shows how great the sport is growing."
Luke Humphries won the 2024 World Championship.
Price money
Humphries captured nearly 2 million pounds in the biennial rankings, towering far above everyone else. That does ensure that he has a particularly large amount of prize money to defend for the world rankings in the coming months. But he doesn't panic.
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"Not at all, not one bit because I'd rather be defending it than not. It means I won," said Humphries.
"I'm probably not going to defend it all because I'd have to defend four major titles, including the World Championship. What you've got to do at the Matchplay [in July] and before is do better than you did before, which lessens the damage that I might receive at the back end of the year.
"If I don't win another penny for the rest of this year, I'll still be world No. 2. I've got an opportunity to stay number one as long as I can.
"And it all depends on what happens next year with the prize money. If you've got the world champion getting a million pounds, if I win it, I'll be world No. 1 by a mile again.
"And if Luke [Littler] doesn't win it either, someone else could be world No. 1, you just don't know what's going to happen with the game."
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✅Perfect start!
— Luke Humphries (@lukeh180) February 6, 2025
Couldn't have gone better for me tonight, and I'm really pleased to get the win in Belfast.
My finishing was rock-solid, and I did what I had to do to get the wins I needed against some quality players.
Good to get a weekly win on the board early doors, and it… pic.twitter.com/LsLBfF8iJE

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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026



