Premier League Darts 2026: Who will be part of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries for this 12 months’s match?

World No 1 Luke Littler and defending champion Luke Humphries will headline this 12 months’s Premier League Darts, however who will be part of them?

The roadshow occasion might be staged on Thursday nights from February till Might, as the highest names in world darts compete for the coveted title and a file prize fund of £1.25m, with the general winner selecting up £350,000, and a £10,000 bonus obtainable at every weekly cease.

The road-up might be revealed on Monday at 3.30pm, stay on Sky Sports activities Information, with the format of the competitors unchanged this season.

Premier League Darts qualification includes 4 computerized spots for the highest gamers on the PDC Order of Benefit (world rankings) and 4 wild-card alternatives chosen by the PDC, making an eight-player subject for the season, so who’s in and who’s in rivalry?

Prime 4 computerized spots

Luke Littler

The 2024 Premier League champion and the 2025 runner-up has received nearly all of the rating majors previously 12 months. ‘The Nuke’ is the reigning back-to-back World Champion and Grand Slam of Darts winner. He’s additionally the reigning UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Gamers Championship Finals winner and might be odds-on to regain the Premier League crown.

Luke Humphries

The world No 2 dethroned Warrington ace Littler within the 2025 ultimate having completed as runner-up the 12 months earlier than. Humphries can sit up for a 3rd look within the travelling darts roadshow. ‘Cool Hand’ suffered a 3rd consecutive televised main ultimate defeat on the Grand Slam in Wolverhampton however then suffered a 5-1 demolition by the hands of Gian van Veen within the quarter-finals of the Worlds.

Gian van Veen

The 23-year-old Dutchman is without doubt one of the rising younger stars on the planet of darts and reaffirmed his title credentials by defeating Humphries to say his maiden TV main title with European Championship victory in Dortmund earlier than destroying the world No 2 within the quarter-finals of the world championship en path to his maiden ultimate at Alexandra Palace the place he was demolished by Littler.

Michael van Gerwen

There are options ‘Mighty Mike’ might miss this 12 months’s match, however the 36-year-old naturally belongs in the most effective darts competitors on the planet. He received the Premier League title for a record-breaking seventh time after defeating Gerwyn Value 11-5 in 2023 however he misplaced within the Play-Offs in 2024 and didn’t qualify for Finals Night time final 12 months.

4 wild-card alternatives: The contenders

Jonny Clayton

Clayton has dropped down the Order of Benefit, however stays a powerful consideration for a wild-card spot as a former Premier League winner in 2021. The 51-year-old Welshman misplaced the finals of the World Masters and the World Cup of Darts, and reached the final 4 on the UK Open, World Matchplay, and World Grand Prix.

Gerwyn Value

The previous rugby ace went from having love-hate relationship with the group to turning into one of many followers’ favourites in latest instances. ‘The Iceman’ endured a disappointing Worlds, exiting within the second spherical to Wesley Plaisier, however the Welshman has additionally received a number of titles, together with the Poland Darts Masters, a number of Gamers Championship occasions, and the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

Josh Rock

‘Rocky’ was a semi-finalist on the World Matchplay and UK Open, alongside his World Cup win for Northern Eire with Daryl Gurney. The 24-year-old has a sport to combine it with the easiest, though he journey on the worlds was stopped by an impressive Justin Hood within the final 16.

Nathan Aspinall

Aspinall has probably the greatest walk-ons in darts when he comes out to ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers. Nonetheless, it does not assure him an computerized Premier League spot. He completed third within the common standings, profitable two nights final 12 months. The Stockport ace was solely stopped within the third spherical of the Worlds by an impressed Kevin Doets.

Stephen Bunting

‘The Bullet’ has slipped out of the highest 4 of the Order of Benefit placing his Premier League ambitions unsure. Nonetheless, his reputation with followers helps his case, however judged on his very poor autumn and a disappointing world championship there are doubts about his participation. The St Helens star arrives in model together with his iconic ‘Titanium’ walk-on music, however will we see it within the Premier League?

Gary Anderson

The 55-year-old Anderson stays defiant that he won’t be part of the Premier League. Throughout 2025, Anderson scooped up his third European Tour trophy and noteworthy thirtieth Gamers Championship title, in addition to making a quarter-final run on the World Grand Prix. He mentioned: “No, no, I’m quite happy, I need to concentrate on my rankings. If I’ve done the Premier League, Europeans gone, Players Championship gone. I couldn’t give a monkey’s [if I’m world champion]. I can’t do it, it’s been great the years I’ve done it. But I can’t do it for 16 weeks on the road then try to get back for them. I can’t do it.”

Ryan Searle

Searle is anxious his face “doesn’t fit” the Premier League alongside Littler and has hinted that he does not count on a spot, regardless of a run to the semi-finals of the Worlds. “I’ve kind of said privately that the Premier League is something that I would like to do once, just to say that I’ve done it,” he mentioned. “Whether it’s this year or not… if you look at Chris Dobey last year, he kind of had a similar path to me, where in previous majors he didn’t do a huge amount and then got to the Worlds and made a semi and they put him in. Not sure whether my face fits for that, but we’ll see what happens.”

Ricky Evans

Cult hero ‘Speedy Ricky’ would mild up the Premier League if he have been to be given a spot within the competitors having wowed the Ally Pally crowd together with his fast-paced play and energetic character, however he is an actual outsider. “Tell me a darts match that I’ve been in that has been boring, that’s what I’m saying. I’m fun, I can make a 3-0 defeat seem fun. I’m box office. I’m not Premier League standard, but cor, you’d have a better Premier League if I was in it! That’s the dream but I say it every year and it never works, because I’m not good enough. If I’m world champion, they have to put me in.”

Anyone else?

James Wade is a extremely embellished Premier League star having received the title in 2009. The 11-time main winner has not competed within the competitors since 2022, the place he completed third within the desk to achieve Finals Night time. “I’m not what they need and I’m not probably what they want, but I want to be there a hundred per cent,” Wade mentioned on the World Matchplay.

Former world champion Rob Cross misplaced to Littler within the final 16 of the Worlds and that defeat will see him drop to twentieth on the planet. He completed runner-up to Van Gerwen within the 2019 Premier league and seventh final 12 months, however has struggled for outcomes.

Former UK Open champion Danny Noppert has made nice strides in recent times and has damaged into the world’s high 10. He reached the semi-finals of the Masters, Grand Slam, World Grand Prix and European Championship final 12 months, however will it’s sufficient for a spot within the Premier League after his disappointing exit on the Worlds to No 86 Justin Hood?

How does the Premier League work?

Matches happen each Thursday evening between February and Might and are performed in several venues round the UK, Eire and Europe, together with Germany, the Netherlands with Antwerp, Belgium a brand new venue this 12 months.

Since 2022, the format has been an eight-person knockout bracket each evening, with every of the gamers assembly as soon as throughout week 1-7 after which once more in weeks 9-15 with weeks 8 and 16 drawn based mostly on league standings.

The factors system is as follows:

• Nightly winner: 5 factors
• Runner-up: 3 factors
• Shedding semi-finalists: 2 factors

After week 16, the highest 4 within the desk contest the semi-finals and the ultimate at The O2 in London.

First performs fourth and second performs third within the best-of-19-leg semi-finals earlier than a best-of-21-leg ultimate.

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
• 2025: Luke Humphries

Who will win this 12 months’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries might be defending his title and you’ll watch the motion each single Thursday from February till Might on Sky Sports activities. Stream darts and extra high sport with NOW.