PDC Announce Massive Prize Money Hike for Pro Darts
The Professional Darts Corporation unveils £1 million to-the-winner World Championship as part of £25 million 2026 prize money package.
Luke Humphries and Luke Littler appear set to boost their burgeoning bank accounts significantly in 2026. © Simon O’Connor/PDC
Key Facts:
- The 2025/26 World Darts Championship will award a £1 million first prize.
- £25 million in prize money will be awarded across all PDC tournaments in 2026.
- World Matchplay and Grand Slam become £1 million events.
- Women’s World Matchplay boosted to £40,000 and increased funding for global affiliate tours.
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has announced the 2025/26 World Darts Championship winner will collect a £1 million first prize, double the sum Luke Littler won in January for claiming the 2025 title.
The increase is part of the most significant across-the-board prize money rise in the history of Darts. In a landmark announcement for the sport, the PDC says prize funds at all levels on the professional circuit will increase by £7 million in 2026.
The prize money boost means £25 million will be awarded across all PDC tournaments from the start of the 2026 World Championship. The biggest recipient is the showpiece event itself.
Its prize fund has doubled, meaning the runner-up will bank £400,000, semi-finalists will collect £200,000 and quarterfinalists £100,000. 2026’s £5 million World Championship will feature an expanded field of 128 players, up from 96. First-round losers will collect £15,000 for simply appearing at London’s famous Alexandra Palace, the venue for the World Championship since 2008.
The Exciting-in-Demand Millionaire Maker
Regarding the exciting news, PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter said: “The £1 million prize for the World Champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world. The historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport.”
The biggest prize money expansion in PDC history… 🙌
There will be an unprecedented £25 million on offer on the PDC circuit in 2026, including £1million to the World Champion!
Full details 👉 https://t.co/490ZSdMoTC pic.twitter.com/HC6hE9V02K
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 31, 2025
Another competition that will feature an increased field size in 2026 is the Grand Slam of Darts. The last edition of the Mr Vegas sponsored Order of Merit event featured 32 players and a £650,000 prize pool. Luke Littler took the title and its £150,000 first prize.
In 2026, to mark the 20th staging of the unique tournament, the Grand Slam winner will earn £200,000 with an additional £800,000 divided among other players. A similar £1 million purse will be offered for the World Matchplay – sponsored by online casino and bookmaker Betfred since 2019.
Commitment to Growth and Potential
The Premier League prize pot will increase by 25% to £1.25 million from 2026, when next season’s champion will collect £350,000. The World Grand Prix, Players Championship Finals, European Championship and UK Open are other events that will benefit.
All four tournaments – won 20 times by Darts’ biggest prize money winner, Michael van Gerwen – will become £750,000 competitions. Furthermore, the World Cup of Darts and World Series of Darts Finals will each have a further £50,000 added to their respective prize pools.
“The increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system,” PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter added.
“Expanding the player fields for the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts will provide more opportunities than ever for players worldwide to feature in televised PDC events.”
“The incredible growth of the PDC in recent years has seen darts elevated to levels never seen before both in terms of playing opportunities and global interest, and this is a huge moment for all players with the ambition to make it to the very pinnacle of the sport.”
Commitment Beyond the Pro Tour
Beyond Darts’ major Sky televised events, European Tour event prize funds will increase to £230,000. Fourteen such tournaments will be held next year. Thirty-four Players Championship events, commonly known as floor tournaments, will pay £150,000 apiece in 2026, a £25,000 increase on their current value.
The PDC’s commitment beyond the ProTour also sees a £5,000 per event increase in Challenge Tour, Development Tour and Women’s Series event purses. The Women’s World Matchplay is being boosted to £40,000, with a fifty percent increase in funding for global affiliate tours and overseas development.
