Your Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Premier League Darts

Discover everything you need to know about the BetMGM Premier League Darts 2026, including participant profiles, competition format, and schedule. The Premier League features the world's top darts players competing against each other over 17 action-packed nights, from February to May, every Thursday, as part of the PDC Darts schedule since its inception in 2005. Defending champion Luke Humphries is set to return, having defeated Luke Littler in the previous final, although Littler is favored to win after claiming his second world title in early January. World No. 3 Gian van Veen will make his debut in the Premier League Darts, while Michael van Gerwen, ranked fourth in the PDC rankings, secured the last automatic spot, with the top four in the Order of Merit guaranteed a place in the invitational series. The PDC's wild card picks, including Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Josh Rock, and Stephen Bunting, complete the eight-player lineup. Matches are held every Thursday night from February 5 to May 28 in various venues across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands. The series kicks off in Newcastle and concludes at the O2 Arena in London 17 weeks later with Finals Night. The darts schedule and key dates for 2026 are available, with live coverage on Sky Sports. Each Premier League night has become a mini-tournament since 2022, where the eight players compete in four quarter-finals, with each player meeting once across the first seven weeks and then again from weeks nine to 15. The winners advance to the semi-finals, with the last four winners reaching the final, where the night's winner is declared. Every match is a best-of-11 legs contest, with the winner earning five points, the runner-up three points, and the two losing semi-finalists two points. The top four players on the Premier League table at the end of Night 16 in Sheffield will advance to the Play-Offs and Finals Night in London on May 29. The player at the top of the table going into the final night of the season will face the fourth-placed player, and the second-placed player will take on the third-placed player, with the two semi-finals played over a best-of-19 legs. The semi-finals winners will then compete in the final, which is a best-of-21 legs contest, with the first player to reach 11 legs crowned the Premier League champion. As part of the PDC's increased prize money, the 2026 Premier League champion will receive £350,000, a £75,000 increase from the previous year. Each night's winner will receive a £10,000 bonus. The Premier League has a rich history, with Phil Taylor winning six of the first eight editions between 2005 and 2012. Other notable winners include James Wade, Gary Anderson, and Michael van Gerwen, who has won a record seven Premier League titles. Glen Durrant, Jonny Clayton, and Van Gerwen have also claimed championships in recent years, with Luke Humphries emerging as the 2025 champion. Watch live darts throughout 2026 on Sky Sports, including the Premier League every Thursday from February 5 to May 28, or stream darts and other top sports with NOW.