The winner collects £1 million, the first-ever seven-figure cheque in the sport's history.
The runner-up receives £400,000, semi-finalists get £200,000 each, and quarter-finalists earn £100,000.
A place in the last eight now pays the same as the winner earned little more than a decade ago, which neatly captures how sharply the top end has risen.
PDC World Darts Championship prize money breakdown
Winner: £1,000,000
Runner-up: £400,000
Losing semi-finalists: £200,000
Losing quarter-finalists: £100,000
Fourth-round losers (last 16): £60,000
Third-round losers (last 32): £35,000
Second-round losers (last 64): £25,000
First-round losers (last 128): £15,000
Nine-dart finish bonus: £60,000
How the 2026 pot compares with 2025
The upgrade from 2025's prize pot is mammoth.
Last year's winner took £500,000, the losing finalist earned £200,000, semi-finalists earned £100,000, and quarter-finalists banked £50,000.
Every major placing payout has doubled, and the PDC is clearly using prize money as a statement of intent, reinforcing the Championship's status as the audience and global interest continue to grow.
Read more: All you need to know about the PDC World Championship 2026: Is it Littler's to lose?
A recent upward trajectory
Prize money at the PDC World Darts Championship has risen steadily for a decade, but growth stalled between 2019 and 2025, with the total fund remaining at £2.5 million. Before that, winners collected £250,000 in 2014 and £300,000 in 2016.
The jump in 2026, therefore, ends a six-year plateau and produces the largest single increase the event has ever seen. It is a structural reset rather than an incremental upgrade.
Not just a payday for the elite
The additional money also improves conditions for players outside the usual title contenders.
Early-round earnings rise in line with the wider fund, which matters for those who often leave major events out of pocket. Stronger baseline payments make the professional pathway more stable, especially for players travelling long distances or operating without major sponsorship.
The scale of the investment strengthens the Championship's international pull at a time when global participation is expanding.
It raises the stakes for established contenders, adds weight to every round, and makes a deep run far more valuable than before. A semi-final appearance worth £200,000 now changes careers rather than padding rankings.