On Thursday, Feb. 6, the 21st edition of Premier League Darts will officially kick off at the SSE Arena in Belfast. The prestigious event, which pits eight of the world's best darters against each other, promises another season full of spectacle and drama. The opening night in Northern Ireland immediately features some delicious prospects with the absolute highlight being a showdown between Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler.
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This season, the Premier League again uses the mini-tournament format, with each night of play consisting of a quarterfinal, semifinal and final round. Points are distributed based on performance each night, and at the end of the 16 rounds of play, the top four players qualify for the playoffs at the end of May. At stake in Belfast is the first weekly bonus of 10,000 pounds. We take a look at all the quarterfinals and look ahead at what to expect.
Chris Dobey v Gerwyn Price
The evening will kick off with an exciting encounter between Chris Dobey and Gerwyn Price. It will be a special night for Dobey, as he won the opening night of Premier League Darts in Belfast last year. Back then, he defeated Michael van Gerwen in the final and set the tone for his debut season. This year, Dobey returns as an outsider, and he will again want to show that he belongs on this stage.
On the other side is Gerwyn Price, who initially seemed to have no interest in the Premier League but later changed his mind and gratefully accepted an invitation. 'The Iceman' had a shaky 2024 and is looking to revenge with strong performances this season. He is the favorite on paper against Dobey, but the Welshman will need to hit the doubles, something that has often been a problem in recent months.
It is the eighteenth time Price and Dobey have met on the PDC stage. 'The Iceman' leads 15-2 in the head-to-head, but the main showdown was won by Dobey. 'Hollywood' won 5-3 over his Welsh opponent at the last World Championships.
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Gerwyn Price and Chris Dobey have the honor of opening the new season of Premier League Darts
Stephen Bunting v Rob Cross
After a decade, Stephen Bunting is back in full force in the Premier League. Since then, 'The Bullet' has become one of the absolute crowd favorites and also a much better darter. The highlight was winning the Masters in 2024, while at the last World Championship he managed to reach the semifinals. This year, Bunting already showed form by winning the Bahrain Darts Masters.
Rob Cross also already has a title in his pocket. Voltage' took the overall victory at the Dutch Darts Masters in Den Bosch. For the Englishman, it is his sixth participation in the Premier League Darts. However, the last time Cross managed to reach the playoffs dates back to 2019. Last year, the former world champion achieved a creditable sixth place.
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What speaks against Bunting is that he has a truly dramatic record against Cross. 'Voltage' has already won thirteen times from 'The Bullet,' while Bunting has only three wins to his name. Bunting's last win over his compatriot dates back to 2022, after which Cross has won the last seven encounters.
Stephen Bunting and Rob Cross recently faced each other in the final of the Dutch Darts Masters
Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen
The match everyone is looking forward to: young sensation Luke Littler against seven-time Premier League winner Michael van Gerwen. As tradition dictates, we get a replay of the most recent World Championship final in the first round of play, so this year is no different.
Littler, who set the world on fire at the 2024 World Cup with his unparalleled talent and scoring ability, made his debut in the Premier League Darts last year and went on to become the youngest major winner in PDC history at the age of 17. He also went on to win the World Series Finals and the Grand Slam of Darts before Littler also became the youngest ever world champion early this year.
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There were times when Michael van Gerwen dominated Premier League Darts, but those times are long gone. From 2013 through 2019, Van Gerwen won the league stage every year, while he took the title five times at the playoffs in 2013 and from 2016 through 2019. After 2019, Van Gerwen only topped rankings after the league phase in 2021, although he still captured the Premier League title in 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, Littler one of the few active darters with a positive record against Van Gerwen. The English teenage sensation is ahead 8-6 in the head-to-head and is currently unbeaten against the Dutchman four duels in a row.
The top event of the quarterfinals is the clash between Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall v Luke Humphries
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The final quarterfinal is a duel between Nathan Aspinall and world number one Luke Humphries. Aspinall is a player known for his never-ending fighting spirit, a trait that has already taken 'The Asp' far in his career. Partly due to injuries, however, Aspinall had a poor 2024, although he did reach the quarterfinals at the World Darts Championship and Aspinall showed fine form at the Winmau World Masters.
That tournament was won last weekend by Humphries, who starts this Premier League edition as one of the absolute favorites. With his dominant performances over the past year and a half and his status as the world number one, he has all eyes on him. Humphries will want to do everything he can to add another title to his record. After all, the Premier League Darts is just one of the few major titles missing from the former world champion's list of honors.
Looking at the mutual history between these two players, we can see that Humphries never has an easy time with Aspinall. In the mutual balance, it is 10-7 for Humphries, but it never really goes easy. Humphries won the last four matches between them, but two of them were 6-5.
Luke Humphries and Nathan Aspinall will fight out who will be the final semifinalist in Belfast
Winner's bonus of £10,000
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A unique aspect of the Premier League is that a separate tournament is played each week of play, with the winner receiving an additional £10,000. This means that a player who manages to win multiple weeks of play can boost his prize money considerably. Since the league lasts for 16 weeks, an additional total of £160,000 can be distributed to the winners of these nights of play.
With performances, players also earn points toward the Premier League standings. The winner of a weekly tournament receives five points, while the losing finalist takes home three points. Semi-finalists keep two points and players who lose their opening match go home scoreless.
Format
Tournament Phase
Quarterfinals/Semi-FInals/Finals: Best of 11 legs
Playoffs
Semifinals: Best of 19 legs
Final: Best of 21 legs
TV Guide
Thanks to Sky Sports, you don't have to miss a single darts moment. Every Thursday night starting at 7 p.m., the channel will bring you the matches live, including extensive analysis and interviews with the main players.
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The broadcasts usually last until 11pm, allowing you to enjoy a full evening of pure entertainment and top-level darts at the highest level.
Distribution of prize money
With a total prize fund of £1,000,000, the eight contestants are competing not only for the title, but also for a substantial amount of money. All participants are guaranteed £60,000 in prize money. This eventually rises to the top prize of £275,000 for the winner.
However, players can also win a bonus each week. For every winner of a mini-tournament during the league phase, a sum of £10,000 is up for grabs.
Schedule Premier League Darts 2025
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Night One - Thursday, Feb. 6.
The SSE Arena, Belfast
Quarterfinals
Chris Dobey v Gerwyn Price
Stephen Bunting v Rob Cross
Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall v Luke Humphries
Your 2025 Premier League Darts line-up! 🤩🎯 pic.twitter.com/juKKpMsQwI
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 6, 2025
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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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- 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
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- 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