PDC President Barry Hearn has dismissed calls for a radical overhaul of the Premier League Darts format, insisting the current model remains a winning formula. Speaking to HLN, Hearn said: “Every year we carry out a review, and we’ll do that now as well. But if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” His comments come after the conclusion of the 2026 edition, which saw Luke Littler defeat Luke Humphries 11-10 in the final to claim his second Premier League title.
The current format, introduced in 2022, reduced the number of participants from ten to eight and replaced the traditional one-match-per-night system with a nightly mini-tournament. This year’s line-up featured Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, and Gian van Veen. Over sixteen weeks, the same eight players faced off, with Littler and Humphries meeting no fewer than nine times during the season. While their rivalry produced spectacular matches, many fans have voiced frustration on social media and darts forums, calling the format predictable and craving more variety—including the return of local guest players from earlier editions.
Despite the criticism, Hearn pointed to the commercial success of the Premier League, which has become one of the PDC’s most important products. In 2026, 98.2 percent of all available tickets were sold across Europe. “That’s incredible. Of course you see an empty seat here and there, but virtually everywhere the arenas were full. That shows that fans are still turning out in force to watch these players,” Hearn said. The league also made its debut in Belgium this season, with a night in Antwerp drawing thousands of fans. “I’m absolutely delighted we came to Antwerp. It had been a dream for years to bring the Premier League there, and the crowd made that night unforgettable,” he added.
Hearn acknowledged that the sport’s future depends on developing stars from different countries. “People want to see players from their own country succeed. That’s what makes sport special. I hope that in the future we’ll have major winners from all the countries where darts is popular, including from the Netherlands and Belgium.” However, he stopped short of promising immediate changes. “Darts keeps growing, and that’s why we always look at how we can improve our events. The Premier League may change one day, but first we’re going to assess everything calmly,” he explained.
The debate over the Premier League format is far from settled. On one side, fans demand more variety and opportunities for emerging talents; on the other, attendance and viewing figures prove the current concept remains hugely popular. The upcoming PDC review will determine whether the organisation sticks with the winning formula or cautiously tweaks a format increasingly questioned on sporting grounds.
