Reigning champion Luke Littler and world number one Luke Humphries will take centre stage in the 2025 BetMGM Premier League Darts line-up, with Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey marking their return to the elite competition.
Who is playing in the 2025 Premier League?
The eight-player line-up features a mix of automatic qualifiers and wildcard selections.
Automatic qualifiers via the PDC Order of Merit:
Luke Littler – Defending Premier League and World Darts Champion
Luke Humphries – World No. 1 and last year’s runner-up
Michael van Gerwen – 7 x Premier League winner and World Championship finalist
Rob Cross – Former World Champion and World Series of Darts winner
Wildcard picks:
Nathan Aspinall – Two-time televised title winner
Stephen Bunting – Career-high world No. 5 and 2024 Masters champion
Chris Dobey – World Championship semi-finalist and three-time ProTour winner
Gerwyn Price – Former Premier League runner-up and consistent top-10 player
Teen sensation Luke Littler dazzled on his Premier League debut last May, delivering a nine-darter in a thrilling final against Humphries. His meteoric rise culminated in his triumph at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace last Friday, cementing his status as one of the sport’s brightest stars.
The newly crowned World Champion will be one of the marquee names in this year’s eight-player premier league, as the competition spans 17 weeks of intense action from February to May.
Joining him is Luke Humphries, who will make his second Premier League appearance. The former World Champion had a stellar 2024 season, capturing titles at the World Cup, World Matchplay, and Players Championship Finals, and finishing runner-up to Littler in last year’s Premier League.
Dutch icon Michael van Gerwen, the runner-up at Alexandra Palace, is set to chase an unprecedented eighth Premier League crown in what will be his 13th consecutive campaign. The three-time World Champion aims to build on his legacy in 2025.
World number four Rob Cross also joins the field automatically, having celebrated a standout moment in 2024 with a World Series of Darts triumph at Madison Square Garden. The 2019 Premier League runner-up will be eager to make another deep run this season.
Stephen Bunting returns to the Premier League for the first time since 2015, following a breakthrough year. The 2024 season saw him achieve a career-high ranking of fifth on the PDC Order of Merit, clinch his first PDC televised title at the Masters, and make significant runs in the UK Open and World Championship.
Gerwyn Price makes his seventh Premier League appearance after a solid resurgence at the World Championship. The 2023 runner-up claimed a World Series of Darts title in Copenhagen last year and reached the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace, reasserting himself among the sport’s elite.
Price who had previously ruled himself out of a premier league return changed his tune in recent months with today confirming his place in front of fellow countryman Johnny Clayton.
Chris Dobey, who impressed with his semi-final run at the World Championship, returns for his second Premier League campaign. The Bedlington star enjoyed a prolific 2024 season, winning three ProTour titles and breaking into the world’s top ten for the first time.
Rounding out the line-up is Nathan Aspinall, who will aim to improve on back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the last two editions. The Stockport star, a two-time televised title winner, brings consistency and tenacity to the competition.
Who else can't wait for the Asp's walk on?
Who missed out on a spot in 2025?
Despite impressive performances, several top players failed to make the cut:
Jonny Clayton – World No. 6 and former Premier League champion
Dave Chisnall – World No. 7
Damon Heta – World No. 8 and nine-darter sensation at the World Championship
Peter Wright – Two-time World Champion and Premier League mainstay since 2013
Michael Smith – Two-time Premier League semi-finalist
Mike De Decker – Reigning World Grand Prix Champion
Dimitri Van den Bergh – UK Open winner
Another name you might have expected to see as a wild card would be fans favourite Gary Anderson who had had an amazing 2025 campaign. However, Gary ruled himself out early doors in classic Ando fashion.
"Premier League you know what I think I'm at the age now where I've done it, got the t-shirt, thank you very much but no. If I can play the European Tours I can qualify for and do my ProTours, I am happy as larry," said Anderson to Online Darts.
The PDC & Bet MGM Spoke After Today's Announcement
“We are really excited by this year's line-up, which I'm sure will entertain our incredible crowds across the UK and Europe,” said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.
"The BetMGM Premier League will reach a huge live audience across the next four months, following record-breaking ticket sales for the 2025 season. All eight players have pedigree on the biggest stage, and fresh from some brilliant performances at the World Darts Championship, we’re looking forward to 17 brilliant weeks of competition.”
BetMGM’s UK Director, Sam Behar, added: "We're delighted by the line-up for the 2025 BetMGM Premier League Darts. Given his heroics in the World Darts Championship, Luke Littler unsurprisingly heads the betting at 6/4. However, there's such quality amongst all eight players that you could make a case for any of them emerging victorious in May, and we can't wait for it to all get underway."
Where and when does it take place?
The tournament kicks off on February 6 in Belfast and concludes with the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on May 29. The action will travel to major venues in cities like Glasgow, Dublin, Rotterdam, and Berlin, ensuring fans across Europe get to experience the drama live.
2025 BetMGM Premier League schedule
Night 1 - The SSE Arena, Belfast - Thursday February 6
Night 2 - OVO Hydro, Glasgow - Thursday February 13
Night 3 - 3Arena, Dublin - Thursday February 20
Night 4 - Westpoint Exeter - Thursday February 27
Night 5 - The Brighton Centre - Thursday March 6
Night 6 - Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham - Thursday March 13
Night 7 - Utilita Arena, Cardiff - Thursday March 20
Night 8 - Utilita Arena, Newcastle - Thursday March 27
Night 9 - Uber Arena, Berlin - Thursday April 3
Night 10 - AO Arena, Manchester - Thursday April 10
Night 11 - Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam - Thursday April 17
Night 12 - M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool - Thursday April 24
Night 13 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday May 1
Night 14 - First Direct Arena, Leeds - Thursday May 8
Night 15 - P&J Live, Aberdeen - Thursday May 15
Night 16 - Utilita Arena, Sheffield - Thursday May 22
Play-Offs - The O2, London - Thursday May 29
What is the Premier League format?
Since 2022, the Premier League has adopted a unique mini-tournament structure. Each league night sees the eight players face off in:
Four quarter-finals
Two semi-finals
A final
All matches are best-of-11 legs, with players earning points based on their progress:
Winner: 5 points
Runner-up: 3 points
Losing semi-finalists: 2 points
The top four players after 16 weeks advance to the Play-Offs, which feature:
Semi-finals (best-of-19 legs): 1st vs. 4th and 2nd vs. 3rd
Final (best-of-21 legs): The first to 11 legs wins the title.
How much can players earn?
The total prize fund for 2025 stands at £1 million, with the breakdown as follows:
Champion: £275,000
Runner-up: £125,000
Semi-finalists: £85,000 each
5th–8th place: £75,000–£60,000
Nightly winners: £10,000 bonus per win
How to watch the Premier League in 2025
Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports, with exclusive coverage of every night. The tournament will also be available via NOW streaming, PDCTV, and international broadcasters like DAZN and Viaplay.
Confirmation Of 2025 BetMGM Premier League Field:
Luke Littler
Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen
Rob Cross
Stephen Bunting
Gerwyn Price
Chris Dobey
Nathan Aspinall
Previous Premier League Darts Winners:
2005: Phil Taylor
2006: Phil Taylor
2007: Phil Taylor
2008: Phil Taylor
2009: James Wade
2010: Phil Taylor
2011: Gary Anderson
2012: Phil Taylor
2013: Michael van Gerwen
2014: Raymond van Barneveld
2015: Gary Anderson
2016: Michael van Gerwen
2017: Michael van Gerwen
2018: Michael van Gerwen
2019: Michael van Gerwen
2020: Glen Durrant
2021: Jonny Clayton
2022: Michael van Gerwen
2023: Michael van Gerwen
2024: Luke Littler
Who do you think will add their name to the list in 2025?
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