Young Darts Champion’s Hopes for Premier League Overhaul Unanswered
Luke Littler, the recent Premier League Darts champion, has seen his calls for a format overhaul met with a firm stance from the sport’s governing body. Despite his success in the recently concluded tournament, which saw him defeat Luke Humphries in a dramatic final at London’s O2 Arena, Littler’s suggestions for change have been dismissed.
Current Format Under Scrutiny
The current Premier League format, in place since 2022, features eight players competing in weekly knockout mini-tournaments. The top four performers at the end of the regular season advance to the play-offs. This structure replaced the older 10-player format, last utilized in 2021, where all participants played one match per night, with the bottom two players eliminated each week until the final eight vied for play-off spots.
Littler Advocates for Return to Older System
Littler, who secured his second major title in three years with a last-leg decider victory, ed his desire for a return to the previous format. “I’d like to see a change. I’d like to play in a Premier League where it’s just one game a night,” Littler stated towards the end of last month. He further elaborated, “Get an extra two players in, get a judgement night back in as well, because that’s what I grew up watching. It was very, very interesting to see obviously two Premier League players go with your 10th and 9th and then the other eight can battle it out.”
The existing format has faced criticism for its perceived repetitiveness, with top players frequently facing each other multiple times throughout a season. For instance, Littler and Humphries competed against each other nine times during the 2024 tournament.
PDC Leadership Stands Firm on Current Structure
However, Barry Hearn, a prominent figure within the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), has indicated that the current Premier League structure is likely to remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. “Every year we conduct an evaluation and that will happen again this year. But if something isn’t broken, you shouldn’t fix it,” Hearn commented.
Hearn highlighted the commercial success of the league, noting, “This year we have sold 98.2 per cent of all tickets. That is amazing. You always have one or two empty seats. Darts has become so big.” He also drew a comparison to the rapid sell-out of tickets for the World Championship, which reportedly sold out in 15 minutes, surpassing even the Glastonbury Festival.
While acknowledging that changes to the Premier League might occur in the future, Hearn emphasized the need for a thorough evaluation process to be conducted privately. “The Premier League might change someday, but let us evaluate first, in silence.”
CEO Open to Review, But No Immediate Changes Expected
PDC chief executive Matt Porter also addressed the format discussions, suggesting an openness to reviewing the current system. “Obviously, you are never going to please everybody with everything that you do,” Porter said. He added, “I think whilst people are talking about it that shows they care and we can’t ask much more than that. We’ve had it for four years, we wouldn’t have it for eight years.”
Porter concluded that while the PDC continuously assesses its offerings, the current format is still in a strong phase of its lifecycle. “So, if you look at the life cycle of it then it will certainly be in that part than the ascendency. You are never going to pick something that will please everyone, but we will always look at what we can do.”
