World number one Luke Littler and defending champion Luke Humphries are set to headline Premier League darts this year. But who will join?
A roadshow event will be held Thursday nights from February to MayThe biggest names in world darts are competing for the coveted title and record prize money of £1.25m, with the overall winner taking home £350,000 and a £10,000 bonus for each stop each week.
The lineup is revealed Sky Sports News live broadcast at 3:30 pm on Monday, The competition format remains unchanged this season.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Check out the best 2025 Premier League picks from Luke Littler and Luke Humphries!
The Premier League Darts qualifiers include four automatic spots for the top players in the PDC Order of Merit (World Rankings) and four wild card selections chosen by the PDC to make up an eight-player field for the season. So who participates and who competes?
Top 4 automatic points
Luke Littler
Luke Littler will aim to reclaim the Premier League title
The 2024 Premier League champions and 2025 runners-up have dominated almost all of the major rankings over the past year. ‘Nuclear weapons’ continue to reign. World champion and winner of the Grand Slam of Darts. He is also the current UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals winner and is odds-on to reclaim the Premier League crown.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look at Littler’s World Matchplay and his Premier League 9-dart match, which featured impressive performances against Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Josh Rock…
Luke Humphreys
Luke Humphries celebrates with the Premier League trophy.
The world number two defeated Warrington ace Littler in the 2025 final, having finished runner-up the previous year. Humphries can look forward to his third appearance on the Traveling Darts Roadshow. ‘Cool Hand’ suffered three consecutive losses in major finals televised at the Wolverhampton Grand Slam, but later suffered a crushing defeat to Gian van Veen 5-1 in the quarterfinals of the World Championship.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Humphries hit a 9-darter against Rob Cross in the quarter-finals in Brighton…
Gian van binh
Gian van Veen has qualified for the Premier League for the first time this year.
The 23-year-old Dutchman is one of the rising young stars in the world of darts, having reaffirmed his title credentials by defeating Humphries to win the European Championships in Dortmund to claim his first TV major title, before then toppling the world No. 2 in the quarter-finals of the World Championships where he lost to Littler en route to his first final at Alexandra Palace.
michael van gerwen
Michael van Gerwen missed the playoffs last year.
There have been suggestions that ‘Mighty Mike’ may miss out on this year’s tournament, but the 36-year-old will rightfully be among the best darts players in the world. He won his seventh Premier League title by beating Gerwin Price 11-5 in 2023, but lost in the play-offs in 2024 and failed to reach the final night last year.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look at Littler’s full Premier League nine-darter, including impressive performances against Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries…
Four Wildcard Picks: Contenders
Johnny Clayton
Jonny Clayton lost in the quarterfinals of this year’s World Championship.
Clayton dropped the Order of Merit but remains a strong consideration for a wild-card spot in 2021 as a former Premier League winner. The 51-year-old Welshman lost the World Masters final and the World Cup of Darts final and reached the semi-finals of the UK Open, World Match Play and World Grand Prix.
Gerwin Price
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look at all of Gerwyn Price’s 9darters in competition.
The former rugby ace has gone from having a love-hate relationship with the crowd to becoming one of the fan favorites of late. ‘The Iceman’ endured a disappointing World Championships, being knocked out by Wesley Plaisier in the second round, but the Welshman also won several titles, including the Polish Darts Masters, several Players’ Championship events and the Baltic Sea Darts Open.
Josh Rock
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Josh Rock announced himself to the world of darts by stunning Michael van Gerwen with a nine-ball at the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts.
‘Rocky’ won the World Cup for Northern Ireland alongside Daryl Gurney, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the World Matchplay and UK Open. The 24-year-old’s journey on the world stage was halted by Justin Hood in the last 16, but he has the game to hang with the best.
Nathan Aspinall
Nathan Aspinall always calls Mr Brightside his walk-on song.
Aspinall has one of the best walk-ons in darts, featuring in The Killers’ ‘Mr Brightside’. But that doesn’t automatically guarantee him a Premier League place. He won both days last year and finished third in the regular standings. The Stockport ace was only stopped in the third round of the Worlds by an inspired Kevin Doets.
stephen bunting
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Alexandra Palace went wild as Stephen Bunting arrived in style to his iconic ‘Titanium’ walk-on number…
‘The Bullet’ has fallen out of the top four of the Order of Merit, putting his Premier League ambitions in doubt. However, while his popularity among fans helps his case, judging by his very poor fall and disappointing World Championships, there are doubts about his participation. The St Helens star arrived in style with his iconic ‘Titanium’ walk-on tune, but will we see him in the Premier League as well?
Gary Anderson
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Gary Anderson misses a nine-darter double 12 in the World Championship Classic against Jermaine Wattimina.
Anderson, 55, remains adamant he will not join the Premier League. In 2025, Anderson not only won his third European Tour trophy and an incredible 30th Players Championship title, but also reached the quarterfinals of the World Grand Prix. He said: “No, no, I’m very happy. I need to focus on the rankings. If I’d won the Premier League, I’d have lost the European side, the Players Championship. I wouldn’t have been able to do it (if I’d been world champions). I couldn’t do it. I’ve done a really good job over the last few years, but I couldn’t do it for 16 weeks away and try to get back. I couldn’t do it.”
Ryan Sully
Ryan Searle has reached the semi-finals of this year’s World Darts Championship.
Searle said he was worried his face was “not suitable” for the Premier League alongside Littler and hinted he had no expectations of a place despite reaching the World Championship semi-finals. “I said privately that the Premier League was something I wanted to try and I just did it.” “Whether it’s this year or not… if you look at Chris Dobey last year, he was on a similar path to me. He didn’t do much in the previous majors, but then when he got to Worlds and got to the semifinals, they put him in. I don’t know if my face is suited for that, but we’ll see what happens.”
Ricky Evans
Ricky Evans has reached the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts in November.
Cult hero ‘Rapid Ricky’ would set the Premier League alight if he were to play in the competition, wowing Ally Pally crowds with his fast-paced play and energetic personality, but he is a true outsider. “Tell me the darts match I played was boring. That’s what I’m talking about. I’m fun. I’m a hit. I’m not Premier League standard, but if I was there you’d have a better Premier League! That’s the dream, but I say it every year, but it never works out, because I’m not good enough. If I’m a world champion, they should put me in.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Take a look at some of Evans’ best and funniest moments from the World Darts Championship…
Is there anyone else?
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The dramatic clash between James Wade and Ricky Evans at the World Championship has come to an end.
james wade He is a Premier League star who won the title in 2009. The 11-time major winner has not competed since 2022, when he finished third and advanced to Finals Night. “I’m probably not the guy they need and I’m probably not the guy they want, but I want to be there 100%,” Wade said at the World Matchplay.
former world champion rob cross He has lost to Littler in his last 16 World Championships, a loss that will drop him to world No. 20. He finished runner-up to Van Gerwen in the Premier League in 2019 and seventh last year, but struggled to get results.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Justin Hood won the second round of the World Championship after an epic final set against Danny Noppert.
Former UK Open Champion Danny Noffert He has made great strides in recent years, breaking into the world’s top 10. He reached the semifinals of the Masters, Grand Slam, World Grand Prix and European Championships last year. But will it be enough to qualify for the Premier League after a disappointing exit from the World Championships to 86th-placed Justin Hood?
How does the Premier League work?
All roads in the Premier League lead to The O2 in London!
Matches take place every Thursday night from February to May and take place at various venues across the UK, Ireland and Europe. It also includes Germany, the Netherlands and, new this year, Antwerp, Belgium.
From 2022, the format has been an eight-man knockout bracket each night, with each player meeting once in Weeks 1-7 and then again in Weeks 9-15, with Weeks 8 and 16 drawn based on league standings.
The points system is as follows:
- Winners of the Night: 5 points
- Runner-up: 3 points
- Semi-finalists lost: 2 points
After week 16, the top four in the table will play out the semi-finals and finals at The O2 in London.
The first game will be the 4th round of the 19th semifinal, the second game will be the 3rd round, and then the 21st final.
Premier League Darts Winner
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Find out how MVG won a record seventh Premier League title…
- 2005: phil taylor
- 2006: phil taylor
- 2007: phil taylor
- 2008: phil taylor
- 2009: james wade
- 2010: phil taylor
- 2011: Gary Anderson
- 2012: phil taylor
- 2013: michael van gerwen
- 2014: Raymond van Barneveld
- 2015: Gary Anderson
- 2016: michael van gerwen
- 2017: michael van gerwen
- 2018: michael van gerwen
- 2019: michael van gerwen
- 2020: Glenn Durant
- 2021: Johnny Clayton
- 2022: michael van gerwen
- 2023: michael van gerwen
- 2024: Luke Littler
- 2025: Luke Humphreys
Who will be the winner of this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries is set to defend his title and you can watch the action every Thursday from February to May on Sky Sports. Stream the best sports including darts with NOW.
