“Be careful of this space…”
This was PDC CEO Matt Porter’s catchy response when asked if the Premier League darts format could be tweaked:
Porter wants the competition, which runs weekly from February to the end of May each year and was won in dramatic style by Luke Littler on Thursday night, to not become “repetitive” or “boring”.
You need to listen to your customers. The general feeling is that the experience at the venue is exceptional but needs freshening up for a wider audience.
The current system, established in 2022, features mini-tournaments consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals and finals on each of the 16 regular nights of the season.
The winner of each night earns five points, the runners-up earn three points, the two semi-final losers earn two points and the four quarter-final losers become meaningless.
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Littler broke down in tears in a post-match interview after the Premier League Darts final as he opened up about his struggles early in the tournament.
The previous setup, last used in 2021, saw all 10 players play in round-of-12 matches each night in a round-robin format, with the bottom two in the table eliminated after a nine-week match called ‘Judgment Night’.
A round robin then continued for seven weeks for the remaining eight players, with the top four advancing to a playoff format where they remain to this day.
So, with all the talk of change, what do some top players want?
Luke Littler – ‘I want to play one game a day’
Littler has enjoyed the ‘Judgment Night’ element of previous Premier League fixtures.
World No. 1 and two-time Premier League champion Luke Littlertalk to SportsBoom.co.uk:
“I want to see change, I want to play in the Premier League with just one game a day, bring in two more players and have ‘Judgment Night’ again.
“That’s what I watched growing up. It was very interesting to see two Premier League players finishing 10th and 9th and the remaining eight going against each other.
“If it doesn’t work, change it. If it works for your PDC, keep it.”
Luke Humphries – ‘Would you like to have a maximum of 10 players?’
Humphries will not have more than 10 players in the Premier League.
World No. 2 and 2025 Premier League Champions Luke Humphreys:
“I still like the format as it is now, but I don’t because there are so many players who can fit in there. Should we stop these great players from participating in that format?
“I know (the PDC) likes to be elite, it’s really tight at eight, but I think if we had 10 players it would be easier to stop arguing about who should go in. I wouldn’t go beyond 10 because I feel if we take it to 12 it might not be elite.
“Not just us as players, but also the fans, they want change and we need them on our side and we want them to get the compensation they want.
“As players, we want what the fans want – for them to enjoy good entertainment.”
Gerwyn Price – ‘A mix of old and new systems’
Gerwin Price also wants to increase the number of players in the Premier League.
Ranked 7th in the world and 2023 Premier League runner-up Gerwin PriceWriting Facebook:
“We will return to the old format where all 10 players will play one game per night. After nine weeks, the bottom two will be eliminated as in previous years and we will return to the format of past years. Eight players will advance to the quarter-finals to determine the winner.”
Premier League Darts meets Royal Rumble?!
Price also suggested further adjustments to the tournament, taking inspiration from World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) annual Royal Rumble event. The event sees 30 wrestlers enter the ring at set intervals, with one remaining earning a title shot at WrestleMania.
Iceman’s idea for a version of darts would see a ‘Royal Rumble’ clash take place between the second and third matches of each Premier League night. The first night will start with two random players outside of the 10 Premier League contenders.
The winner advances to the next week and only gets to know their opponent when the entrance music hits, as is the case with WWE’s Royal Rumble.
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns defeated The Miz in the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble.
Expanding on the “twist” that will bring “even more excitement,” Price said, “You never know who the surprise challenger will be each week. Over the course of 16 weeks, the winner of the Royal Rumble will receive the belt, a prize money and a spot in the Premier League the following year.”
Price explained that his 16 challengers will be the top eight players in the one-year PDC Order of Merit and the top eight players outside of Premier League qualifying. “So, 26 of the best in the world are all participating,” the Welshman added.
It appears that some changes in the Premier League could be around the corner, although it is yet to be seen whether Porter and his PDC colleagues want this to happen.
‘You can never choose to please everyone’
PDC CEO Matt Porter can see the advantages of the current and previous Premier League formats.
“People see it through different eyes,” Porter said.
“I see it once when I come to the stadium. I want to see the winner that night. I want to see the drama until the last dart is thrown.”
“When you watch it on TV every week, some people want to see the best players play every week, while others want to see a little bit of diversity.
“You can never pick something that pleases everyone, but we’re always looking at what we can do, so watch this space.”
Really watch this space…
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