PREVIEW: Night 16 of 2025 Premier League Darts - Who will join Littler, Humphries & Price at the O2 Arena?
PDC
As the 2025 Premier League Darts season heads into its final league night, all eyes turn to Sheffield on Thursday, May 22. Three of the four playoff spots have been secured, and with the pressure mounting, Night 16 promises to deliver high-stakes drama as the race to make the O2 Arena reaches its climax.
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The Premier League’s unique format runs over 16 weeks, with fixed brackets on 14 nights. However, Nights 8 and 16 break that mold, featuring matchups based on current standings. That dynamic format sets up an unpredictable and potentially season-defining final night and sees 4th placed Nathan Aspinall face 5th placed Michael van Gerwen in a meeting that could prove decisive in the fight to finish in the playoff places.
Luke Littler vs Stephen Bunting
Before the Aspinall vs Van Gerwen meeting however, Thursday night’s action in Sheffield will begin with a compelling showdown between league leader Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting, who currently sits in eighth place.
A win for Littler would see the teenage sensation set a new all-time Premier League Darts points record, whilst another nightly win for 'The Nuke' would extend that record also.
Whilst the playoffs are some way off for Bunting after a nightmare start to the campaign, 'The Bullet' enters the match still with plenty to play for, aiming to avoid finishing bottom of the table and end his campaign on a high note.
Top meets bottom as Littler & Bunting face off in Sheffield
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Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
Following that opening clash, attention will shift to the evening’s most anticipated matchup — the aforementioned high-stakes rematch between Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen. The two met just last week in Aberdeen, where Aspinall not only secured a crucial win over the Dutchman but went on to claim the nightly title, overtaking Van Gerwen in the league standings in the process.
‘The Asp’ began the night trailing his Dutch rival by a single point in the league standings, but now heads into the final night with a four-point cushion over ‘Mighty Mike’, meaning a win in this quarter-final will guarantee him a place in the top 4.
Therefore, the pressure is firmly on Van Gerwen, who must produce a perfect run and win Night 16 outright to have any chance of making the playoffs. Anything less, and his campaign will come to an abrupt end.
Win or bust for Van Gerwen in Sheffield
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Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
The third quarter-final of the night is a showdown between former world champions. Whilst Luke Humphries' dream of topping the league table is out of reach, 'Cool Hand Luke' will be looking to build up some positive momentum heading towards the playoffs at the O2 Arena. A quarter-final win over Rob Cross could be the perfect start to that charge.
For Cross meanwhile, he knows that a win over Humphries will more than likely see him avoid ending the campaign bottom of the pile. Cross starts the final night 4 points clear of Stephen Bunting, and with Chris Dobey one one point ahead of 'Voltage', there is also room for the former world champ to rise in the table if he ends the season on a high.
Two former world champions collide as Rob Cross & Luke Humphries do battle in Sheffield
Gerwyn Price v Chris Dobey
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Completing the quarter-final action on Night 16 in Sheffield, Gerwyn Price and Chris Dobey face off in what is essentially a free-hit for both players.
After receiving much criticism over his inclusion in the Premier League this season, Price has responded in the best way possible, winning three weekly titles, hitting two nine-darts and comfortably securing a place in the playoffs at the O2 for just the second time in his illustrious career.
Dobey meanwhile, has had a solid if unspectacular Premier League return in 2025. Winning one night, 'Hollywood' tops the trio of players cast adrift from the rest at the bottom of the table and will be looking to end his campaign on a high to keep building momentum ahead of the coming tournaments.
Price & Dobey face off in the 4th quarter-final of Night 16 in Sheffield
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Winner's bonus of £10,000
One of the standout features of the Premier League Darts format is its weekly mini-tournament structure. Each night of the season operates as its own self-contained competition, with the winner pocketing a £10,000 bonus. This setup allows players to significantly increase their earnings by racking up multiple nightly victories over the 16-week campaign — creating the potential for up to £160,000 in additional prize money across the season.
In addition to the financial incentives, players also accumulate points based on their performance each night. A tournament win earns five points toward the overall standings, while the runner-up collects three. Semi-finalists receive two points apiece, and those who exit in the quarter-final stage leave without adding to their tally.
Format
Tournament Phase
Quarterfinals/Semi-Finals/Finals: Best of 11 legs
Playoffs
Semifinals: Best of 19 legs
Final: Best of 21 legs
TV Guide
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Darts fans can catch all the Premier League action live each Thursday evening, courtesy of Sky Sports. Coverage begins at 7 p.m., featuring every match of the night along with in-depth analysis, expert commentary, and interviews with the sport’s biggest names.
The broadcast typically runs until around 11 p.m., offering viewers a full evening of world-class darts and behind-the-scenes insight — perfect for fans who want to stay fully immersed in the drama from first dart to final checkout.
Distribution of prize money
The Premier League Darts season offers more than just prestige — it comes with a hefty prize pool of £1,000,000. Each of the eight players is guaranteed at least £60,000 simply for taking part, but there’s much more at stake as the competition progresses. The eventual champion will walk away with a top prize of £275,000, making the title one of the most lucrative in the sport.
On top of the overall earnings, there’s also a weekly incentive built into the league format. Every time a player wins one of the individual nightly tournaments during the regular season, they earn an additional £10,000 — offering both financial reward and momentum as the playoffs approach.
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Schedule Premier League Darts 2025
Night 16 - Thursday, May 22.
Utilita Arena, Sheffield
Quarterfinals (7pm)
Luke Littler v Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
Gerwyn Price v Chris Dobey
Semi-final
Littler/Bunting v Aspinall/Van Gerwen
Humphries/Cross v Price/Dobey
Final
- v -
Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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- 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
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026