The latest edition of the PDC World Darts Championship for the 2025/26 season has commenced at the Alexandra Palace in London, featuring defending champion Luke Littler starting his title defense successfully.
Originally from Warrington, Littler, who became the youngest-ever winner by defeating Michael van Gerwen in last year’s final at the age of 17, secured a 3-0 victory over Darius Labanauskas from Lithuania on the tournament’s opening night to advance to the second round.
Littler, now in his third appearance at Ally Pally, comes into the competition following a series of recent victories at prestigious events like the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam, and Players Championship Finals, solidifying his position as the top seed and World Number One.
Among the participants at Alexandra Palace are past world champions such as Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price. The tournament also includes contenders like Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, James Wade, and Jonny Clayton, all part of the expanded 128-player field.
The championship includes top 40 players from the PDC’s Werner Rankings Ladder, 40 qualifiers from the one-year ProTour Ranking, and 48 International Qualifiers from PDC Secondary and Affiliate Tours and Qualifying Events.
A key storyline to watch in this tournament is the potential showdown between Luke Humphries, the 2024 champion, and Littler, seeking redemption after his defeat in the Grand Slam of Darts final last year. The winner of this year’s championship will walk away with a remarkable prize of £1 million.
All matches from the PDC World Darts Championship are exclusively broadcasted live by a single broadcaster. Viewers can catch all the action from the championship, which runs until the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day, with afternoon sessions starting at 12.30pm and evening sessions at 7pm.
The semi-finals will be held at 7.30pm on January 2, with the final scheduled for 8pm on January 3. Sky Sports is the exclusive broadcaster for the championship, featuring a dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel for the event, with significant matches also airing on Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage is available through Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.
For fans, Virgin Media offers an alternative viewing option with its Sport bundle, currently available for free for three months as part of a last-minute Black Friday deal. However, both Sky and Virgin’s TV packages come with annual price increases, with Virgin customers on the £56.99 package set to see bill increments in the coming years.