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Littler to defend his title with Bunting and Dobey both included in the line-up

Rachel07 mins


Stephen Bunting is set to return to the Premier League for the first time in 10 years, earning a place as one of four wildcard picks for darts’ premier roadshow event.

He is joined in the wildcard category by Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey, completing the eight-man line-up for the 2025 competition.

The Premier League kicks off on February 6 in Belfast.

These four join the top four players in the PDC Order of Merit: newly crowned world champion and reigning Premier League champion Luke Littler, No. 1 world Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross.

Bunting, ranked No. 5, is the highest ranked player outside of the automatic qualifiers.

His remarkable 2024 season, highlighted by a semi-final appearance in the World Darts Championship and second place in the PDC Players Championship, makes him a worthy inclusion.

Chris Dobey, nicknamed “Hollywood”, also had an impressive year, reaching the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship before losing to van Gerwen to secure three Players Championship titles in 2024.

The Premier League XI for 2025

The full Premier League 2025 roster includes:

  • Luke Humphries
  • Luke Littler
  • Michael van Gerwen
  • Rob Cross
  • Stephen Bunting
  • Gerwyn Price
  • Chris Dobbie
  • Nathan Aspinall

Several big names missed the pick this year, such as No. 6 in the world, Dave Chisnall, 2023 world champion Michael Smith and 2021 Premier League champion Jonny Clayton.

Former world champions Peter Wright and Gary Anderson were also left out, with Wright missing out on the Premier League for the first time since 2013.

Mike De Decker, the World Grand Prix champion, became the first player in history to lose a place in the Premier League after winning the title.

Addressing these decisions, PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter said: “Obviously with Price, Dobey and Aspinall, there are players above them in the rankings who have not been selected, but we looked at it in terms of big stage presence, popularity. , and how they can get 10,000 people together every Thursday.

“We want people on the edge of their seats. We want people to get up and enjoy their darts. That doesn’t mean other players can’t do this. You have to make decisions about who is right at that moment.”

The Premier League follows a knockout format, with each competition featuring a group of eight players.

In the first seven weeks, each player will face each other competitor once in the first round. The games are repeated in weeks 9-15, while the games in week 8 and 16 are based on the league standings.

After 16 weeks, the top four players in the league standings will advance to the semi-finals and final, which will be held at The O2 in London.

The semi-finals are contested in a best-of-19-leg format, with the final played over 21 legs.

Premier League 2025 schedule

Here is the full schedule of this year’s Premier League:

  • Night 1: The SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday 6 February
  • Night 2: OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday 13 February
  • Night 3: 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday 20 February
  • Night 4: Westpoint Exeter – Thursday 27 February
  • Night 5: The Brighton Center – Thursday 6 March
  • Night 6: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday 13 March
  • Night 7: Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday 20 March
  • Night 8: Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday 27 March
  • Night 9: Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday, April 3
  • Night 10: AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday 10th April
  • Night 11: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday 17 April
  • Night 12: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday 24th April
  • Night 13: Utilita Arena, Birmingham – Thursday 1 May
  • Night 14: First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday 8th May
  • Night 15: P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday 15 May
  • Night 16: Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday 22nd May
  • Playoffs: The O2, London – Thursday 29 May



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