When is the World Darts Championship Final? Prize money, PDC format, schedule, when is Luke Littler playing today?
This is it - somebody is going to win a cool £1million for winning the PDC World Darts Championship.
The New Year-spanning PDC World Darts Championship is now almost at an end - with an epic final in store today ( Saturday, January 3).
This year’s tournament is the 33rd organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the now-defunct British Darts Organisation and is once again taking place at London’s Alexandra Palace, better known to fans as the Ally Pally.
And there’s been more darts than ever to enjoy, with an expanded 128-player field and the seeds playing from the first round (they previously went straight through to the second round).
Defending champion Luke Littler continued his march towards his second title yesterday with a 6-1 semi final pummelling of 20th seed Ryan Searle.
And he was joined in the final by fellow youngster Gian van Veen, with the Dutchman triumphing 6-3 over two-time champ Scottish darter Gary Anderson in a vintage match for the ages.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament final.
When is the PDC World Darts Championship?
The tournament takes place from Thursday, December 11, 2025, to Saturday, January 3, 2026
What is the prize money?
There is a record £5million prize pot up for grabs, allocated as follows:
- Winner: £1,000,000
- Runner-up: £400,000
- Semi-finalists: £200,000
- Quarter-finalists: £100,000
- Fourth round losers: £60,000
- Third round losers: £35,000
- Second round losers: £25,000
- First round losers: £15,000
- Nine-dart finish: £60,000
When is the final of the PDC World Darts Championship?
Things will start to get going with the players warming up at 8pm, with Littler’s match against van Veen set to get underway on the oche at 8.15pm.
What is the format of the final?
The final is a marathon best of 13 sets (first to seven).
The deciding set has to be won by two clear legs, up until 5–5, when a sudden-death leg will be played.
What is the format of the competition?
Unlike previous years, where the top players skipped the first round, it’s a straight knockout competition, with the top 32 players on the PDC Order of Merit seeded.
What’s the tournament schedule?
In the early stages of the tournament there are eight matches each day, split into two sessions. As the length of the games increase, and the number of players remaining in the competition decrease, fewer games are played in each session.
First round matches start on the the evening of Thursday, December 11, and continue until Friday, December 9.
The first of the second round matches takes place on Saturday, December 10, with round 2 concluding on Tuesday, December 24.
The third round takes place between December 27-29, and the fourth from December 29-30.
The eight quarter-finalists will clash over two session on Thursday, January 1, swiftly followed by the semi-finals the next day.
The winner will be crowned after the final on Saturday, January 3, starting at 8pm.
How can I watch the PDC Darts World Championship?
Live coverage of every day and every dart of the PDC World Darts Championship will be broadcast exclusively live on the dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel.
You don't have to be a subscriber to watch – daily, weekly and monthly Sky Sports passes are available on the NOW TV platform from £14.99.
Who is favourite to win?
Defending champion Luke Littler is favourite take the title, with odds of 4/11, followed by Gian van Veen (2/1).
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