Darts World Champion took home £31,000 just 25 years ago – now PDC reveals historic seven-figure prize
The winner of the 2025/26 World Darts Championship will pocket a huge £1million in prize money, the PDC have confirmed. The tournament takes place in December and January at Alexandra Palace with Luke Littler coming away victorious last time out. Littler took home £500,000 in 2025 but could double that in 2026AFP In doing so, the 18-year-old was awarded a £500,000 prize for beating Michael van Gerwen in the final. But whoever comes away victorious moving forward will scoop a prize that’s worth double that. Asked what he thinks of ‘The Nuke’ wanting to take his spot as world number one, Luke Humphries told talkSPORT Darts: “Not much really, I’m not fighting desperately to be world number one, I’d rather be world champion, which he is, so for him I’m sure he’d be more happy to be world champion than world number one. “For me it doesn’t matter what happens in the next six, seven, eight months, it’s all about the world championships, we all know that the world champion is going to get a million quid, so whoever wins that is going to be world number one. “If I win that I’ll be world number one for a long time, if Luke wins that he’s going to be world number one for a long time. “You can look at someone like Michael van Gerwen or Gerwyn Price winning it, they’ll be number one, so it really does not matter what happens over the next seven or eight months, it’s who wins the worlds that will carry that number one spot. “The gap between the other majors is so massive that it all depends on who wins the worlds now so whoever wins that championship I can guarantee that they will probably be number one.” It comes as part of a huge upscale in prize money on offer for PDC events. From 2025/26, there will be over £25million up for grabs across the year – an increase of £7million from the 2025 figures. As part of the increase, the World Darts Championship will be expanded with 128 players competing in the tournament. The battle for the big prize is going to be thrilling this yearGetty The competition will have a total prize fund of £5million with a fifth of that going to the winner. Just 25 years ago in 2000, the winner took home just £31,000 with the total prize pot at a paltry £110,000. The World Darts Championship isn’t the only event to see a hike in prize money. The Premier League prize pot will increase to £1.25 million from 2026, with £350,000 for next season’s champion. A £1 million prize fund will be on offer at the World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts, while four other Premier events – the World Grand Prix, Players Championship Finals, European Championship and UK Open – will all increase to a £750,000 prize fund next year. PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter commented: “The £1 million prize for the World Champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world and the historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport. Littler has made an electric start to the 2025 campaignPDC World Darts Championship prize money 2026 World Darts Championship prize money 2026 Winner: £1,000,000Runner-Up: £400,000Semi-Finalists: £200,000Quarter-Finalists: £100,000Last 16 losers: £60,000Last 32 losers: £35,000Last 64 losers: £25,000Last 128 losers: £15,000Total: £5,000,000 “However, the increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system. “Expanding the player fields for the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts will provide more opportunities than ever before for players around the world 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.” Premier League Offer All customers talkSPORT BET Offer: Bet 4 x £5 on the Darts and get £5 in free bets CLAIM HERE 18+. Opt In. Place 4x £5 bets on any Darts market, at min odds (2.0). Offer expires at 23:59 UK time on 06.02.25. Get a £5 Free Bet to use on any Darts market. Free Bet expires within 3 days. Click for T&C’s. GambleAware.org
The winner of the 2025/26 World Darts Championship will pocket a huge £1million in prize money, the PDC have confirmed.
The tournament takes place in December and January at Alexandra Palace with Luke Littler coming away victorious last time out.
In doing so, the 18-year-old was awarded a £500,000 prize for beating Michael van Gerwen in the final.
But whoever comes away victorious moving forward will scoop a prize that’s worth double that.
Asked what he thinks of ‘The Nuke’ wanting to take his spot as world number one, Luke Humphries told talkSPORT Darts: “Not much really, I’m not fighting desperately to be world number one, I’d rather be world champion, which he is, so for him I’m sure he’d be more happy to be world champion than world number one.
“For me it doesn’t matter what happens in the next six, seven, eight months, it’s all about the world championships, we all know that the world champion is going to get a million quid, so whoever wins that is going to be world number one.
“If I win that I’ll be world number one for a long time, if Luke wins that he’s going to be world number one for a long time.
“You can look at someone like Michael van Gerwen or Gerwyn Price winning it, they’ll be number one, so it really does not matter what happens over the next seven or eight months, it’s who wins the worlds that will carry that number one spot.
“The gap between the other majors is so massive that it all depends on who wins the worlds now so whoever wins that championship I can guarantee that they will probably be number one.”
It comes as part of a huge upscale in prize money on offer for PDC events.
From 2025/26, there will be over £25million up for grabs across the year – an increase of £7million from the 2025 figures.
As part of the increase, the World Darts Championship will be expanded with 128 players competing in the tournament.
The competition will have a total prize fund of £5million with a fifth of that going to the winner.
Just 25 years ago in 2000, the winner took home just £31,000 with the total prize pot at a paltry £110,000.
The World Darts Championship isn’t the only event to see a hike in prize money.
The Premier League prize pot will increase to £1.25 million from 2026, with £350,000 for next season’s champion.
A £1 million prize fund will be on offer at the World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts, while four other Premier events – the World Grand Prix, Players Championship Finals, European Championship and UK Open – will all increase to a £750,000 prize fund next year.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter commented: “The £1 million prize for the World Champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world and the historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport.
World Darts Championship prize money 2026
World Darts Championship prize money 2026
Winner: £1,000,000
Runner-Up: £400,000
Semi-Finalists: £200,000
Quarter-Finalists: £100,000
Last 16 losers: £60,000
Last 32 losers: £35,000
Last 64 losers: £25,000
Last 128 losers: £15,000
Total: £5,000,000
“However, the increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system.
“Expanding the player fields for the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts will provide more opportunities than ever before for players around the world 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.”
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