The PDC World Darts Championship for the 2025/26 season has started at Alexandra Palace in London, where Luke Littler, the current title holder, has commenced his title defense successfully.
Littler, a native of Warrington, secured a spot in the second round by defeating Darius Labanauskas from Lithuania with a convincing 3-0 victory on the opening night of the tournament. This marks Littler’s third appearance at Ally Pally, following a series of recent triumphs at events like the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam, and Players Championship Finals, which have solidified his top seed and World Number One status.
Among the participants at Alexandra Palace are former world champions such as Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price, along with other contenders like Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, James Wade, and Jonny Clayton, in the expanded 128-player field.
The tournament features 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. A notable storyline to watch is the potential rematch between Luke Humphries, the 2024 champion, and Littler, who defeated him in the Grand Slam of Darts final last year. A victory for Humphries could propel him to the world number one ranking, with this year’s champion set to win a remarkable £1 million prize.
All matches of the PDC World Darts Championship will be broadcast exclusively by a single broadcaster. Fans can tune in to watch the action unfold throughout the tournament, with afternoon sessions starting at 12:30 pm and evening sessions at 7 pm until the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day. The semi-finals will take place on January 2 at 7:30 pm, followed by the final on January 3 at 8 pm.
Sky Sports is airing every match live on its dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel, with key matches also featured on Sky Sports Main Event. Fans can access the coverage through Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, which offers a wide range of sports content, including matches from the Premier League, EFL, Carabao Cup, Formula 1, and more, along with popular channels like Sky Atlantic, Netflix, and Discovery+.
For Virgin Media customers, the darts action is available through the provider’s Sport bundle, which is currently offered at a discounted rate for three months. However, both Sky and Virgin TV packages come with annual price increases, with Virgin’s £56.99 package set to rise to £60.99 in April 2026 and £64.99 in April 2027.
Viewers can enjoy the thrilling competition and follow their favorite darts players in the quest for the championship title through the extensive coverage provided by these broadcasting platforms.