The cazoo Premier League Darts is one of the biggest tournaments in the professional darts circuit. It features 10 of the world’s top darts players competing in a league format over several months. The tournament was established in 2005 and has been sponsored by cazoo, an online used car retailer, since 2021. The Premier League sees players face each other twice over the course of the season, once at their home venue and once away. Matches are played weekly in different arenas across the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany. At the end of the league phase the top 4 players advance to the play-offs where the winner is crowned Premier League champion. It is one of the most prestigious titles in darts.
History
The Premier League was formed in 2005 by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) as a rival to the World Darts Tour event. It was originally sponsored by Sky Sports and known as the Sky Bet Premier League before cazoo took over sponsorship in 2021.
The inaugural 2005 edition was won by Colin Lloyd who defeated John Part in the final. Phil Taylor holds the record for most Premier League titles having triumphed six times between 2006 and 2012. Other previous winners include Michael van Gerwen (4 titles), Gary Anderson (2), James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld, Glen Durrant and Jonny Clayton.
The tournament format has evolved over the years, expanding from 6 players at the launch to 10 today. From 2005-2009 the format was a simple knockout tournament. A round-robin group stage was introduced in 2010 meaning players competed in at least 9 league matches each. This was expanded to 16 league fixtures for each player in 2017.
The prize fund has also steadily increased, going from £100,000 total in 2005 to £850,000 in 2022. The winner now pockets £275,000 which makes it one of the most lucrative tournaments outside of the World Championship.
Format
The cazoo Premier League adopts a round-robin home and away league format. There are 10 participants who all face each other twice, once at their own home venue and once at their opponent’s venue. This means that over the course of the season, each player competes in 16 league matches.
League fixtures take place weekly every Thursday from February to May in arenas across Europe. In 2022, the venues were Dublin, Cardiff, Brighton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Berlin, Rotterdam, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Matches are contested over a best of 12 legs. The winner receives 2 points, the loser gets 1 point and a draw results in both players earning 1 point each.
After 16 league fixtures the player ranked 1st in the league table automatically qualifies for the semi-finals. The next three players in the table advance to the play-offs.
The play-offs take place over two nights with the semi-finals played over 19 legs followed by the final first-to-11-legs. The winner of the final is crowned Premier League champion. There is also a third place play-off.
Prize Money Breakdown
The cazoo Premier League has a total prize pool of £850,000 which is distributed as follows:
Champion | £275,000 |
Runner-Up | £125,000 |
Semi-Finalist | £85,000 |
5th Place | £80,000 |
6th Place | £75,000 |
7th Place | £70,000 |
8th Place | £65,000 |
9th Place | £60,000 |
10th Place | £55,000 |
In addition, players earn £10,000 for each league stage victory. A draw earns both players £5,000.
Therefore, a player winning all 16 league matches, finishing 1st in the table, and going on to win the title would earn £310,000.
Qualification
There are 10 coveted spots in the Premier League field each year. The line-up is primarily determined based on the PDC Order of Merit which ranks players on prize money earned over a two-year rolling period.
The top 4 players in the rankings automatically qualify for the Premier League. Beyond that, six wild card selections are chosen at the discretion of the PDC and the tournament sponsors. Wild cards are typically awarded to high profile players as well as up and coming stars the organizers want to showcase in the event.
Premier League wild cards are announced following the PDC World Championship each January. Injuries, loss of form or other issues can result in the field being changed between the initial announcement and when play gets underway in February.
The 2023 Premier League Darts Field
The line-up for the 2023 cazoo Premier League Darts season is:
Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands) |
Peter Wright (Scotland) |
Gerwyn Price (Wales) |
Michael Smith (England) |
Jonny Clayton (Wales) |
Luke Humphries (England) |
Nathan Aspinall (England) |
Dimitri van den Bergh (Belgium) |
Chris Dobey (England) |
Danny Noppert (Netherlands) |
World number one Michael van Gerwen, #2 Peter Wright and #3 Gerwyn Price gain automatic selection through their top 3 ranking. Newly crowned world champion Michael Smith takes the 4th spot.
Reigning Premier League champion Jonny Clayton, rising stars Luke Humphries and Nathan Aspinall and Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh take four of the six wild card places. The final two spots go to Chris Dobey and Danny Noppert who will both make their Premier League debuts.
Notable omissions from the 2023 field include regular Premier League stars Gary Anderson and James Wade who miss out for the first time in several years. Former world #1 Michael van Gerwen remains the bookmakers pre-tournament favorite.
Venues
One of the unique aspects of the Premier League is the variety of venues used for the 16 league stage nights. Matches take place across major arenas in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany.
The venues for the 2023 Premier League Darts season are:
February 2 | P&J Live, Aberdeen |
February 9 | Utilita Arena, Birmingham |
February 16 | M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool |
February 23 | Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham |
March 2 | Westpoint Exeter |
March 9 | Brighton Centre |
March 16 | Rotterdam Ahoy |
March 23 | Premier League, Berlin |
March 30 | Utilita Arena, Newcastle |
April 6 | First Direct Arena, Leeds |
April 13 | Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin |
April 20 | The SSE Arena, Belfast |
April 27 | 3Arena, Dublin |
May 4 | OVO Hydro, Glasgow |
May 11 | AO Arena, Manchester |
May 18 | Utilita Arena, Sheffield |
The Play-Offs will be held on May 25 at The O2 Arena in London.
The schedule includes debut venues in Exeter and Leeds as the Premier League aims to bring darts to new regions in the UK. Long-time host cities like Dublin, Belfast, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow also feature. Rotterdam, Berlin and Aberdeen provide the international flavor.
Format Changes for 2023
A couple of format tweaks have been introduced for the 2023 Premier League season:
– Only the top 4 now qualify for the Play-Offs instead of the top 4. This adds more jeopardy to the league phase.
– The Play-Off semi-finals will now be best of 19 legs instead of first-to-10.
These changes should provide more drama as one fewer player will reach the O2 in London and the semis are now a longer contest. It places greater emphasis on consistency during the 16 league nights.
TV Coverage & Live Stream
The Premier League is broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports. They air most league nights while also providing comprehensive highlights.
Select nights are also shown free-to-air on ITV4 with live streaming available via the ITV Hub.
Internationally, coverage is provided by a mix of broadcast partners and bookmakers. The Premier League action can be live streamed online via:
– PDC TV (PDCTV.com) – subscription required.
– DAZN – available in various regions including Germany and Canada.
– Viaplay – in Nordic countries.
– RTL7 – in the Netherlands.
– Sportingbet – free live streams in selected countries.
Check local listings for details on tuning into the Premier League darts action on TV or online in your region.
Betting on the Premier League Darts
As one of the marquee events on the darts calendar, the Premier League draws huge interest from bookmakers and bettors. Fans can wager on:
– Outright tournament winner
– Match winners
– Correct score (legs won)
– 180s scored
– High checkout
– Player performance averages
Due to the league format, interesting markets open up around final table placing and qualification for the Play-Offs. Bettors can get creative in playing Leaderboards and spreads as the season progresses.
Michael van Gerwen has dominated the outright betting in recent years but faces stiff competition this time around from Peter Wright, Michael Smith and Gerwyn Price. Jonny Clayton is the defending champion.
When matches get underway, every leg brings new wagering opportunities. The competitive nature of Premier League darts translates into exciting betting possibilities over the 17-night campaign.
Conclusion
The cazoo Premier League Darts represents the pinnacle of the sport’s circuit outside of the World Championship. It features an elite field competing in a unique home and away format over four months.
Established in 2005, the tournament has evolved into a hugely popular event drawing crowds across Europe with its marquee lineup and ever-changing venues. It showcases darts at its highest level with many close contests and dramatic moments.
Phil Taylor may have dominated the early years but Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright have since emerged as icons of the Premier League. A new generation led by Jonny Clayton, James Wade and Michael Smith is also making its mark.
With over £800,000 in prize money up for grabs, a coveted title, and prestige on the line, the Premier League delivers electric entertainment for darts fans. Tight tussles culminating in a high stakes finals night at The O2 provides all the ingredients for an unmissable sporting spectacle.