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 journey to retain the title.
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, advanced to the second round with a convincing 3-0 victory against Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas on the tournament’s opening night.
Entering his third appearance at Ally Pally, Littler comes in with a string of recent triumphs, having secured wins at 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 former world champions such as Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price. Noteworthy contenders in this year’s expanded 128-player field include Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, James Wade, and Jonny Clayton.
The competition comprises the 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.
An anticipated storyline of the tournament is the potential showdown between Luke Humphries, the 2024 champion, and Littler. Humphries, seeking redemption after his loss to Littler in the Grand Slam of Darts final last November, aims to reclaim the world number one spot, with this year’s champion set to win a substantial £1 million prize.
All matches of the PDC World Darts Championship will be broadcast exclusively live on one broadcaster. Viewers can follow the action starting from the afternoon sessions at 12.30pm and evening sessions at 7pm until the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day. The semi-finals will take place at 7.30pm on 2 January, with the final scheduled for 8pm on 3 January.
Sky Sports is the exclusive broadcaster for the championship, with dedicated coverage on the Sky Sports Darts channel. Significant matches will also be showcased on Sky Sports Main Event, available through Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for £35.
In addition to the World Darts Championship coverage, the Sky package includes access to a variety of sports events such as the Premier League, EFL, Carabao Cup, and Formula 1, along with over 100 regular channels like Sky Atlantic, Netflix, and Discovery+.
Virgin Media customers can also watch the championship through the Sport bundle, which is free for three months due to a limited-time Black Friday offer, providing access to over 200 TV channels, a Netflix subscription, and 362Mbps fibre broadband. However, both Sky and Virgin contracts come with annual price increases, with Virgin announcing upcoming bill adjustments for its £56.99 package.
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