The Darts Premier League has become one of the biggest tournaments in the entire darts year in recent years. Why is this not self-evident?
The answer is simple. The money raised has no influence on the money ranking, the so-called Order of Merit . So why is the Darts Premier League still so popular?
We give the answer to this question. We also explain why the Premier League is the most important darts event of the year after the World Cup.
The schedule and mode of the Darts Premier League
The game plan has followed a very specific mode for years. A total of ten players take part from the start. They play against each other on nine match days . After these first nine match days, the last two players in the ranking are eliminated from the tournament.
So there are eight players left. These duels in turn for another seven match days until each player has competed against everyone else.
Now the field of participants is reduced to the first four players in the table . These four players contest the so-called play-offs or also known as the semi-finals .
The first place player plays against the fourth place player, while the second place player plays against the third place player. The two winners ultimately compete in the final. But be careful, WDF Darts has nothing to do with PDC and is an independent darts association .
How many participants are there in the Darts Premier League?
The Darts Premier League is considered an invitational tournament . In plain language, this means that it is not possible for the players to easily qualify for the Premier League.
The PDC itself distributes the starting places according to a fixed principle. This is structured as follows:
- The top 4 players in the PDC Order of Merit automatically receive a starting place .
- The PDC distributes so-called wild cards for the remaining six starting places .
Infobox: A wild card, for example, is given to a player who has been able to impress athletically over the entire past year . Not just recently, but also especially at the Darts World Cup.
Since the Premier League is a tournament lasting several months , the top stars of darts want to present themselves on this stage. It is considered an honor to be able to take part in this tournament .
The Premier League is also financially worthwhile for the ten participating players.
Who took part in the Darts Premier League 2023?
In 2023, the PDC did not announce the participants directly after the Darts World Cup, but waited for the result of the Masters . These eight superstars started in the Premier League:
- Gerwyn Price
- Michael Smith
- Michael van Gerwen
- Peter Wright
- Chris Dobey
- Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Johnny Clayton
- Nathan Aspinall
In addition to the top 4 in the world rankings Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright, the Masters winner Chris Dobey is also there.
Three wildcards were also awarded to Dimitri van den Bergh, Jonny Clayton and Nathan Aspinall.
Prize money: How much does the winner of the Darts Premier League get?
As already mentioned, the Darts Premier League prize money is not included in the Order of Merit. Nevertheless, the Premier League is currently considered the second biggest tournament of the year - after the World Cup.
Participation is financially worthwhile, especially for the best four players. The winner receives a whopping £250,000 and the semi-finalist receives at least £80,000 .
Even if they are eliminated after the first nine match days, the participants will receive at least 25,000 pounds .
This financial incentive ensures that players hope for one of the coveted wild cards year after year. But the image and, above all, awareness are also increased through the regular matchday broadcasts.
So it's not just about sporting and financial success . Above all, it's about a sustainable increase in awareness , which can significantly increase your own merchandising sales in the long term.
Full halls and great atmosphere
The large halls in particular contribute to the Darts Premier League phenomenon. Games will be played in the 2019 Premier League season in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland , the Netherlands and Germany .
One location is larger than the other. On the match day in Berlin alone, well over 10,000 darts fans were there and turned the hall into a madhouse.
For comparison: The Ally Pally, where the World Cup is being held, only accommodates around 3,000 visitors per session.
The local heroes in particular enjoy performing in front of their own audience. This often leads to a sometimes heated atmosphere in the halls. Match days in the Netherlands are described as particularly special.
Of course, all Premier League match days will also be broadcast live.
The previous champions – well-known names
The 2023 tournament will be the 19th edition of the Premier League. Of the 19 tournaments so far, Phil Taylor alone has won a total of 6. Michael van Gerwen has achieved the big coup 7 times so far.
In 2023, van Gerwen has overtaken Phil Taylor. There were also two wins for Gary Anderson, one for James Wade, one for Jonny Clayton and one for Raymond van Barneveld.
So far, there are no surprises in the list of winners. It can also be deduced from this that the top stars prove year after year that they are rightly represented in the Premier League.
They simply deliver the most consistent performances of the entire field of participants in the PDC throughout the year. Here, too, you have to be careful that PDC Europe and PDC are two different associations.
That's why the Premier League is so interesting for sponsors
The Premier League has a very special advantage. A Premier League match day takes place almost every week for almost four months and is broadcast on television .
This also makes it an extremely attractive event for sponsors . Conversely, this means that the players not only benefit from the PDC's prize money, but also from new sponsorship contracts.
How much does a Darts Premier League ticket cost?
Tickets for the 2024 Premier League are already on general sale. The Premier League's annual roadshow will take place on 17 evenings in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany from February to May 2024 .
Tickets for night 2 in Berlin at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on February 8, 2024 are available between 39 and 300 euros , depending on the provider and seat.
Infobox: A hospitality ticket is also available to fans. In addition to premium seating, this includes the two-hour pre-show, dinner, meeting a legend, a souvenir gift and much more. The price for this is 365 euros.
Entry is from 6 p.m. and the prices have not changed much compared to 2023.
However, anyone who wants to watch the show at the legendary Ally Pally in London has unfortunately missed out. It's almost impossible to get tickets here because they sell out quicker than you can possibly see.
Where can you watch the Dart Premier League?
DAZN is definitely the home for darts. No one else shows as much darts as DAZN. However, you can also watch the Dart Premier League 2024 for free on Sport1 in the free live stream .
Conclusion
We hope that with this overview we were able to provide you with the most important information about the Darts Premier League.
If you still want tickets for the tournament , you should hurry up, as only a few are available , according to the individual providers.
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