The PDC World Darts Championship for the 2025/26 season has commenced at London’s Alexandra Palace, with defending champion Luke Littler successfully starting his title defense. The young champion, hailing from Warrington, secured a 3-0 victory over Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas on the opening night, advancing to the second round.
Littler, who became the youngest-ever winner last year by defeating Michael van Gerwen in the final at just 17, enters the competition after a series of recent triumphs in major events like the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam, and Players Championship Finals. This success has solidified his position as the top seed and World Number One, making it his third appearance at Ally Pally.
Joining Littler at Alexandra Palace are former world champions including Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price, alongside other top contenders like Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, James Wade, and Jonny Clayton, all part of the expanded 128-player field. The player lineup consists of the top 40 from the PDC’s Werner Rankings Ladder, 40 qualifiers from the ProTour Ranking, and 48 International Qualifiers from PDC Secondary and Affiliate Tours and Qualifying Events.
A highly anticipated storyline of the tournament is the potential rematch between Luke Humphries, the 2024 champion, and Littler, seeking redemption after his loss in the Grand Slam of Darts final last year. A victory for Humphries in this championship could propel him back to the world number one ranking, with the champion set to receive a remarkable £1 million prize.
All matches of the PDC World Darts Championship will be broadcast exclusively on a single broadcaster. Fans can catch the action live from the afternoon sessions starting at 12:30 pm and evening sessions at 7 pm until the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day. The semi-finals will take place at 7:30 pm on January 2, with the final scheduled for 8 pm on January 3.
Sky Sports is the exclusive broadcaster for the championship, featuring matches on its dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel and select significant games on Sky Sports Main Event. The coverage is available through Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, offering access to a wide range of sports content, including Premier League, EFL, Carabao Cup, and Formula 1, along with entertainment channels like Sky Atlantic, Netflix, and Discovery+.
Virgin Media customers can also watch the championship via the provider’s Sport bundle, currently available for free for three months as part of a limited-time offer. However, both Sky and Virgin TV contracts come with annual price increases, with Virgin already announcing upcoming bill hikes for its package holders.