Luke Littler won his second Premier League title on 28 May, beating Luke Humphries 11-10 in a last-leg decider at The O2 Arena that is already being talked about as one of the best finals in the competition’s history. It capped a 17-night season that ran from Newcastle to Antwerp, Belgium’s first appearance on the Premier League schedule, and settled a trilogy: it was the third year running that Littler and Humphries had met in the final, after Littler won in 2024 and Humphries won the rematch in 2025.
Here’s how the season played out, and everything you need to know about the format, prize money and schedule.
Finals Night: How It Unfolded
The top four from the 16-night league stage went through to Finals Night at The O2: Littler, Humphries, Gerwyn Price, and Jonny Clayton. Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting, and Josh Rock all featured across the season but fell short of the top four.
Both semi-finals went to a deciding leg. Littler recovered from letting a 9-4 lead slip against Price, eventually winning 10-9 with a 14-dart hold of throw, his ninth consecutive win over the Welshman. In the other semi-final, Humphries came from 9-7 down to beat Clayton 10-9, helped by a distraction in the crowd as Clayton threw for the match at double 16.
The final lived up to the billing. Humphries led 6-4 at the interval on the back of three consecutive ton-plus checkouts, but Littler fought back to level at 9-9. Humphries missed a match dart to win it outright, sending the match to a decider, which Littler won by hitting double 20 with the last dart in his hand for an 11-10 victory. Littler averaged 111.67 with 12 maximums; Humphries averaged 105.60. It was the first time in Premier League history that all 59 possible legs in a Finals Night were played, and only the third Premier League final ever to reach a deciding leg.
The win was Littler’s second Premier League title and his fourth major of 2026, following the World Championship, World Masters, and UK Open. With bonuses for nightly wins included, Littler’s total earnings from the tournament came to £410,000, while Humphries took home £180,000 as runner-up.
The Season’s Storylines
Gian van Veen made his Premier League debut following his breakthrough run to the World Championship final, while Josh Rock also debuted and hit a nine-dart finish during a 6-2 loss to Van Veen on night four. Jonny Clayton returned after a two-year absence and qualified for Finals Night in every one of his Premier League appearances to date, the only player in the field to do so. Michael van Gerwen, the tournament’s most successful player, was unable to add an eighth title as he continued to search for the form of his peak years.
Littler later revealed that the pressure of a 17-week campaign had worn on him during the season, admitting in his post-final interview that after a difficult night in Manchester he had told his partner he wanted to quit the tournament altogether. The eventual title, and the manner of the final, made it one of the most talked-about campaigns in the competition’s recent history.
Full Schedule & Venues
The 2026 Premier League spanned 17 nights across the UK, Ireland, and Europe, with Belgium joining the rotation for the first time as Antwerp hosted Night 2.
| Night | Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday 5 February | Newcastle | Utilita Arena |
| 2 | Thursday 12 February | Antwerp | AFAS Dome |
| 3 | Thursday 19 February | Glasgow | OVO Hydro |
| 4 | Thursday 26 February | Belfast | SSE Arena |
| 5 | Thursday 5 March | Cardiff | Utilita Arena |
| 6 | Thursday 12 March | Nottingham | Motorpoint Arena |
| 7 | Thursday 19 March | Dublin | 3Arena |
| 8 | Thursday 26 March | Berlin | Uber Arena |
| 9 | Thursday 2 April | Manchester | AO Arena |
| 10 | Thursday 9 April | Brighton | Brighton Centre |
| 11 | Thursday 16 April | Rotterdam | Rotterdam Ahoy |
| 12 | Thursday 23 April | Liverpool | M&S Bank Arena |
| 13 | Thursday 30 April | Aberdeen | P&J Live |
| 14 | Thursday 7 May | Leeds | First Direct Arena |
| 15 | Thursday 14 May | Birmingham | Utilita Arena |
| 16 | Thursday 21 May | Sheffield | Utilita Arena |
| Finals | Thursday 28 May | London | The O2 Arena |
How the Format Works
Each Thursday night of the 16-night league stage was a mini-knockout tournament featuring all eight players.
League Phase (Nights 1-16)
Every night followed the same structure:
- Quarter-Finals – Four matches, best of 11 legs
- Semi-Finals – Two matches, best of 11 legs
- Final – One match, best of 11 legs
Players were seeded based on their league position, with the top seed facing the eighth seed, second facing seventh, and so on. In the opening weeks before standings were established, seedings followed Order of Merit positions.
Points System:
- Night winner: 5 points
- Night runner-up: 3 points
- Losing semi-finalist: 2 points
- Losing quarter-finalist: 0 points
Players faced each other twice during the league phase, once in Weeks 1-7 and again in Weeks 9-15, with Week 8 and Week 16 fixtures determined by league position rather than a set list.
Finals Night
The top four players in the league standings after Night 16 qualified for Finals Night at The O2 Arena in London.
- Semi-Finals – Best of 19 legs
- Final – Best of 21 legs (first to 11)
Prize Money
The total prize fund for 2026 was £1,250,000, the biggest single-tournament prize money increase in PDC history at the time.
| Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Champion | £350,000 |
| Runner-up | £170,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £110,000 each |
| 5th place | £95,000 |
| 6th place | £90,000 |
| 7th place | £85,000 |
| 8th place | £80,000 |
Each night’s winner during the league phase also received a £10,000 bonus. Factoring in nightly bonuses, Littler’s total from the tournament was £410,000; Humphries took £180,000 as runner-up, and Clayton earned £150,000 as a beaten semi-finalist with four nightly wins.
How to Watch
Premier League Darts is broadcast live on Sky Sports every Thursday from around 7pm, with coverage typically running until around 10:30pm depending on match lengths.
Viewers without a Sky subscription can watch via NOW (formerly NOW TV) with a Sports Day Pass or Sports Membership, with no contract required.
Premier League Darts History
The Premier League has been running since 2005 and has grown into one of darts’ biggest events. The most successful players in the tournament’s history:
| Player | Titles | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Michael van Gerwen | 7 | 10 |
| Phil Taylor | 6 | 8 |
| Gary Anderson | 2 | 4 |
| Luke Littler | 2 | 3 |
| Luke Humphries | 1 | 3 |
| Jonny Clayton | 1 | 1 |
| Glen Durrant | 1 | 1 |
Littler’s 2026 win made him the fourth player in the competition’s history to win multiple titles, joining Taylor, Van Gerwen and Anderson, and it was his and Humphries’ third consecutive year contesting the final between them.
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