How does the Premier League Darts format work?

Find out how the Premier League Darts work as the world’s best eight players are set to go head to head over 17 nights to the end of May.

The top four players on the Order of Merit – Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall are joined by four wild cards – Luke Littler, Michael Smith, Peter Wright and Rob Cross.

Littler will be the youngest player to compete in the Premier League Darts at 17 years old and has continued to impress since the World Championship.

He made his first televised nine-darter at the Bahrain Darts Masters and went on to win the event by beating Van Gerwen. However, Van Gerwen got revenge eight days later at the Dutch Darts Masters as the pair faced off in the final again.

It sets up the most eagerly-anticipated Premier League series yet and you can watch it all live on Sky Sports – watch the opening night in Cardiff this Thursday from 7pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena.

What is the Premier League Darts format?

Since 2022, each Premier League night has become a mini tournament where the eight players compete in four quarter-finals.

The winners progress to the semi-finals to compete for a place in the final, where the winner of the night will be declared.

Every match is best-of-11 legs and the winner gets five points, the runner-up three points and the two losing semi-finalists two points.

The top four players in the Premier League table at the end of Night 16 in Sheffield will advance to the play-offs in London on May 23 at the O2 Arena.

Every player will meet once in the quarter-finals between Weeks 1 and 7, then again between Weeks 9 and 15. The fixtures in Weeks 8 and 16 are decided by league position.

Premier League fixtures 2024 – watch all live on Sky Sports

Night One, Utilita Arena, Cardiff, Thursday February 1

Quarter-finals

Peter Wright vs Rob Cross
Gerwyn Price vs Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwyn vs Michael Smith
Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries

Night Two, Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin, Thursday February 8

Quarter-finals

Nathan Aspinall vs Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith vs Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler vs Rob Cross
Luke Humphries vs Peter Wright

Night Three, OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Thursday February 15

Quarter-finals

Rob Cross vs Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen vs Peter Wright
Nathan Aspinall vs Luke Humphries
Gerwyn Price vs Luke Littler

Night Four, Utilita Arena, Newcastle, Thursday February 22

Quarter-finals

Michael Smith vs Nathan Aspinall
Rob Cross vs Luke Humphries
Peter Wright vs Luke Littler
Gerwyn Price vs Michael van Gerwen

Night Five, Westpoint Exeter, Thursday February 29

Quarter-finals

Luke Humphries vs Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall vs Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross
Luke Littler vs Michael Smith

Night Six, The Brighton Centre, Thursday March 7

Quarter-finals

Luke Humphries vs Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross vs Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall vs Luke Littler
Michael Smith vs Peter Wright

Night Seven, Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, Thursday March 14

Quarter-finals

Peter Wright vs Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries vs Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen vs Luke Littler
Rob Cross vs Nathan Aspinall

Night Eight, 3Arena, Dublin, Thursday March 21

Fixtures confirmed following Night Seven

Night Nine, SSE Arena, Belfast, Thursday March 28

Quarter-finals

Luke Humphries vs Luke Littler
Michael Smith vs Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall vs Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross vs Peter Wright

Night Ten, AO Arena, Manchester, Thursday April 4

Quarter-finals

Nathan Aspinall vs Rob Cross
Luke Littler vs Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith vs Luke Humphries
Gerwyn Price vs Peter Wright

Night 11, Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday April 11

Quarter-finals

Peter Wright vs Luke Humphries
Rob Cross vs Luke Littler
Gerwyn Price vs Michael Smith
Michael van Gerwen vs Nathan Aspinall

Night 12, Rotterdam Ahoy, Thursday April 18

Quarter-finals

Michael Smith vs Luke Littler
Rob Cross vs Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright vs Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen vs Luke Humphries

Night 13, M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, Thursday April 25

Quarter-finals

Luke Littler vs Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries vs Nathan Aspinall
Peter Wright vs Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith vs Rob Cross

Night 14, P&J Live, Aberdeen, Thursday May 2

Quarter-finals

Peter Wright vs Michael Smith
Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen vs Rob Cross
Gerwyn Price vs Luke Humphries

Night 15, First Direct Arena, Leeds, Thursday May 9

Quarter-finals

Michael van Gerwen vs Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler vs Peter Wright
Luke Humphries vs Rob Cross
Nathan Aspinall vs Michael Smith

Night 16, Utilita Arena, Sheffield, Thursday May 16

Fixtures confirmed following Night 15

Play-Offs – The O2, London, Thursday May 23

Semi-finals

Final

Premier League Darts returns to Sky Sports this Thursday as Cardiff kicks off the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday, May 23. Stream Sky Sports Darts without a contract through NOW

Source : Sky Sports