THE PDC have confirmed that the Premier League Darts format will remain unchanged for the 2026 season.
There had previously been speculation regarding the format of the competition after big changes in other darts tournaments, such as the expansion of the PDC World Darts Championship to 128 players this year.
The schedule for 2026’s Premier League season was revealed in September, and is set to kick off in Newcastle on February 5th, but the format remained up in the air until now.
But, per reports from Sky Sports, PDC CEO Matt Porter has confirmed that the current setup of the competition will continue for the upcoming year.
He told the outlet: “We always say that we do evaluate it and we will change it at some point, but we just feel at the moment the data shows us that this is the right format,”
“The crowds in the arenas love it, they love seeing a winner on the night, it keeps them entertained until the last dart, and the TV audience figures are great.
SPRINTER
Win a Mercedes Campervan plus £5,000 or £55,000 cash from just 15p with our code
LUKE AT HIM GO
Luke Littler breaks World Darts Championship 180 record in historic moment
“So, we will make a decision as and when we feel that the format is tired.”
The tournament as it currently exists sees the top four on the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualify, to be joined by another four wildcards in the eight-player lineup.
The current top four would be Luke Littler, defending champion Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton.
But that group is certainly subject to change, with only Littler and Humphries guaranteed a spot in the top four, and another certain to go to whoever wins the World Championship.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
The £1MILLION prize would be enough to take any darts pro into the top four spots, including the lowest-ranked player still in the competition, Justin Hood.
The other four spots in the group will belong to wildcard picks, with their performances over the past year and the size of their following likely to contribute to their selection.
Last year’s wildcards included Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey, Gerwyn Price and Stephen Bunting.
The final line-up for this year’s 16-week tournament should be announced in the coming weeks.
Porter added: “We never make a decision until the end when we’ve got all the facts in front of us.
“We always look for the players that we feel have delivered consistently. It is important. A lot of players deliver once but you have to show you can compete at the top level on a regular basis.
“You have to show you’ve got real star quality. “
The final selection will battle it out in a series of mini-tournaments across the UK and continental Europe, with the top four at the end of the season progressing to the finals at the O2 in London on May 28th.
