Premier League Darts 2025
The 2025 PDC Premier League starts on February 6 with a new line-up of players. According to the PDC Order of Merit, the top four are automatically given a place. The remaining four are selected by the PDC, and in the past, the TV broadcasters, Sky Sports, have also been given a say and sometimes referred to as wild cards. However, the selection process has always had its critics, and there seems to be no consistency in selecting the remaining four players.
The PDC Premier League is a sixteen-week extravagance designed to entertain the crowd and the viewing public. As followers of sport in general are concerned, the Premier League may conjure up the sport's elite, as it does within football and rugby, for instance. However, the PDC Premier League is a glorified showcase non-ranking event. Otherwise, the top eight of the Order of Merit will most likely be selected.
With a total prize fund of £1M, it is easy to see why all players want to be part of this tournament, as they will earn good paydays. It also helps the players with their sponsorship and profile. It is also good for fans and punters alike, as darts betting is significantly increasing. With Luke Littler heading the list of players, many new to the sport fans might think they can earn an easy buck! But they may be wrong.
Players List
Luke Litter
Although Littler isn't the current No.1 by the PDC Order of Merit, he is the current PDC World Darts Champion and defending PDC Premier League Champion. He will likely be the odds-on favourite to retain his Premier League title. However, the event covers nearly four months of play, and players' form can vary during this period.
Luke has shown no signs of the expected pressure many believe he is under, and for a young player, this is remarkable.
Luke Humphries
Humphries is probably the most feared play by Littler. Humphries beat Luke in the 2024 PDC World Championship Final and again in the Players Championship Final last November. So young Littler won't necessarily have it all his own way.
Humphries has been relatively consistent during 2024 and heads to the PDC Order of Merit, based on a rolling two-year ranking events prize money earning. For many, Humphries is the John Lowe of the new era. Calm, consistent and a gentleman with it.
Michael van Gerwen
Michael showed some of his old form at the 2025 World Championship, reaching the final for the seventh time. The former three-time World Champion is out to prove to all that he is still a force to be reckoned with, and 2025 could be the comeback year for the Dutchman.
Many have previously written off Michael as not a player they think is likely to pick up many more trophies. However, this fuel spurs Michael, who is there to prove the doubters wrong. Micheal again could be one to watch this year as many didn't think he would make the 2025 World Championship final, yet he did with relative ease.
Rob Cross
Rob tends to go under the radar regarding betting, yet he is a former World Champion and made it to the Premier League final in 2019. In that year, Rob lost 11-5 to Michael van Gerwen.
Rob was an early casualty at the 2025 World Championships, losing in the second round. As a seed, he entered the event in the second round. But like several other seeds, he fell at the first hurdle.
2025 could be a big year for Rob, and any other early exits in the ranking events could cause him to fall down the ranking.
Stephen Bunting
Currently fifth in the PDC Order of Merit, Stephen was tipped to do well in the World Championships. Many thought he might take the title, but an on-form Luke Litter dashed his hopes in the semi-final 6-1. The former 2014 BDO World Darts Champion is starting to make his mark in the PDC and is undoubtedly worth an outside bet. He has earned his place in the Premier League and should do well.
Gerwyn Price
Gerwyn is one of the few who can probably thank his World title race for being offered a place in the 2025 Premier League. Many have their views on who should be selected, but making it through to the quarter-finals may have sealed the deal.
Gerwyn, a former professional rugby player, has certainly made his mark in darts by winning the World Championship in 2021 and becoming the Premier League runner-up in 2023. He certainly pulls in the crowd, and like Luke Humphries being referred to as a modern John Lowe, Gerwyn could be called the modern Eric Bristow, although he has a long way to catch the five world titles Eric achieved.
Eric was a chalk-or-cheese type of player. Fans loved him and hated him in equal measure. He was confident and arrogant with it, and he was great for the sport. Gerwyn has it in his armoury to win, so let's hope the crowd lets him play to his full ability, as nine darts could fly!
Chris Dobey
Chris is one of the many players on the way up. Seeing his inclusion in the Premier League is good, but some may argue others should have his place. Reaching the World Championships semi-finals ahead of some of the other who feature higher up the Order of Merit may have been the pinnacle reason for his inclusion. Only time will tell if he will continue with the recent form he has shown.
Nathan Aspinall
Nathan Aspinall is probably the most talked-about player in this year's line-up. He has suffered from mild Dartitis. However, there are also signs that he is overcoming the issue. A switch to his older darts in the World Championship saw him reach the quarter-finals, only to be well beaten by Luke Littler.
Many thought Damon Heta would feature in this year's line-up after winning several player championship series rounds in 2024 and famously hitting a nine-dart leg in the 2025 World Championship. Damon is also ranked a couple of places higher than Nathan in the Order of Merit, but it was not to be. However, his native Country, Australia, is hosting its first mini-Premier League from October to November, so maybe Damon will be a feature in that event.
Mike de Decker is the other player many thought may have gained a sport. The German won the PDC Grand Slam of Darts last November. The Grand Slam is a tough tournament featuring other dart tournament winners and highly ranked players. The early stages are in a round-robin format, and the top two of each of the sixteen groups progress to the knockout stages.
With darts on a massive increase in Germany, it certainly would have been good to feature a German player in the line-up. However, as some players gained their place through their achievements in the World Champions, others like Mike may have lost consideration as he lost in the second round to Luke Woodhouse 3-1.