Luke Littler has been given extra motivation to defend his World Darts Championship title next year, with the PDC confirming a major increase in the amount of prize money. The Nuke took home £500,000 for beating Michael van Gerwen in this year’s final but will be playing for twice as much in 2026.
The PDC have confirmed that next year’s world champion will receive a £1million fee as part of a broader increase in prize money. An expanded 128-player field will compete for a total prize fund of £5m. More than £25m will be on offer across PDC tournaments in 2026, representing a historic rise of £7m from the 2025 figures.
Meanwhile, next year’s Premier League champion will receive £350,000 from a total prize pot of £1.25m. Prize money will also be increased at the World Grand Prix, Players Championship Finals, European Championship and UK Open.
All four tournaments will carry a £750,000 prize fund, with the World Cup of Darts and World Series of Darts each adding £50,000 to their respective pots.
In a statement, PDC chief executive Matt Porter said: “The £1m prize for the world champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world.
“The historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport. However, the increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system.
“Expanding the player fields for the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts will provide more opportunities than ever before for players around the world to feature in televised PDC events.
“The incredible growth of the PDC in recent years has seen darts elevated to levels never seen before both in terms of playing opportunities and global interest and this is a huge moment for all players with the ambition to make it to the very pinnacle of the sport.”
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