Luke Littler is determined to regain his Premier League of Darts title from rival Luke Humphries as the weekly Thursday night competition returns for 2026.
From 5 February until 28 May, eight of the best darts players will compete weekly for the coveted title of Premier League Champion, earning a record prize pot from the £1.25 million on offer this year.
The eight players have been chosen and will play over 16 weeks to gain points and put them in the best position on the leaderboard. After week 16, the top four go on to the final at The O2 in London to play for the crown.
Below, we look at the title favourites, some of the key matches and who the experts back to win the 2026 Premier League of Darts.
The favourites
The eight players involved this year are Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price.
The title favourite is Luke Littler. He is the reigning PDC World Champion, he's world number one, and he has won the first PDC ranking event of the year in the World Masters. Littler is in the peak of his powers, and the 19-year-old has the darting world at his feet, which is why he is the favourite to win the Premier League title this year.
Littler won this event back in 2024, in his first year on the tour. Last year, he lost in the final to world number two, and second-favourite to win in 2026, Luke Humphries. Cool Hand had a good 2025 and reached the final of the World Masters this year (a tournament in which he hit a nine-darter). Despite being the second favourite, he is way behind Littler in the betting odds, with Littler 4/6 compared to Humphries at 5/1.
Then, at 6/1, is Gian van Veen. Humphries may have beaten the World No.3 at the World Masters, but that was the first time in six matches that Humphries has won. Van Veen had a massive 2025 that saw him win his first tour event and then make the World Championship final. This will be his first season in the Premier League, and he will make a splash in it for certain.
Three players are at 14/1 to win - Gerwyn Price, Josh Rock and Michael van Gerwen. Both Jonny Clayton and Stephen Bunting are at 40/1.
Key matches
The schedule for most of the matchweeks has been released, barring two. The format works that each week is played as an eight-person knockout tournament, with each round played to best of 11 legs.
Littler and Humphries confirmed meetings in the quarters are on night two and night 12, with Littler meeting Van Veen on nights one and nine. Humphries and Van Veen meet on nights six and 16.
Nights eight and 16 are decided by the placement of the players in the table, so we could see some big names meet in the quarters again.
Players' position in the table is determined by points earned based on where they finish each week, with the nightly winner earning five points, the runner-up three points, and the two beaten semi-finalists two points. Losing in the quarters earns you nothing.
After week 16, the top four players will go on to the final at The O2 in London, where the player in first plays the fourth and the player in second plays third in best-of-19 legs. The final is a best-of-21 leg match.
Expert predictions
Sky Darts pundit Wayne Mardle believes that the tournament is Littler’s to lose, but says that the emergence of Van Veen has made it more interesting this year, especially for Humphries, who now has true competition for the second-best player in the world title.
Humphries managed to overcome Littler last year despite The Nuke being the favourite. This just shows that darts can really come down to the evening, and if Van Veen or Humphries are there in the final, then they have all the opportunities to take the title for themselves.
Prize money
This year, there is more money than ever up for grabs. The overall prize pot stands at £1.25 million, and the players earn that depending on where they finish in the tournament. The top four earn money based on where they finish in the finals, whereas the bottom four earn money based on their league position.
The full breakdown is:
Premier League finals
Winner - £350,000
Runner-up - £170,000
Semi-finalists - £110,000
Premier League final standings
5th place - £95,000
6th place - £90,000
7th place - £85,000
8th place - £80,000
There is also £10,000 on offer each night of the Premier League, going to the winner of that night.
Schedule
Night 1 – 5 February – Newcastle (Utilita Arena Newcastle)
Night 2 – 12 February – Antwerp (AFAS Dome)
Night 3 – 19 February – Glasgow (OVO Hydro)
Night 4 – 28 February – Belfast (SSE Arena Belfast)
Night 5 – 5 March – Cardiff (Utilita Arena Cardiff)
Night 6 – 12 March – Nottingham (Motorpoint Arena Nottingham)
Night 7 – 19 March – Dublin (3Arena)
Night 8 – 26 March – Berlin (Uber Arena)
Night 9 – 2 April – Manchester (AO Arena)
Night 10 – 9 April – Brighton (Brighton Centre)
Night 11 – 16 April – Rotterdam (Rotterdam Ahoy)
Night 12 – 23 April – Liverpool (M&S Bank Arena)
Night 13 – 30 April – Aberdeen (P&J Live)
Night 14 – 7 May – Leeds (First Direct Arena)
Night 15 – 14 May – Birmingham (Utilita Arena)
Night 16 – 21 May – Sheffield (Utilita Arena)
Finals – 28 May – London (The O2 Arena)