Prize money for 2026 world darts champion doubled to record £1million

The 2026 world darts champion will win a record £1million prize – double the amount Luke Littler received in January for claiming the 2025 title.

The biggest cash increase in the history of the Professional Darts Corporation has been confirmed, with an expanded 128-player field at the 2026 World Championship competing for a £5m prize fund.

Confirming the sport’s biggest pay-day, PDC chief executive Matt Porter said: “The £1million prize for the world champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world and 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.

“This is a huge moment for all players with the ambition to make it to the very pinnacle of the sport.”

The darts’ grapevine has been buzzing in recent weeks about talk of record prize money, with interest in the sport fuelled by the impact 18-year-old Littler has had on it over the past year or so.

“It’s been £500,000 for the past however many years, but I think that’s the next big step for us players,” Littler said recently when asked about the possibility of the World Championship winner receiving a cheque for £1m.

“Obviously, whoever wins it, they’ll obviously go straight to number one.”

PDC prize money will be up £7m on this year’s figures in 2026.

The Premier League prize pot will increase to £1.25m from 2026, with £350,000 for next season’s champion.

A £1m prize fund will be on offer at the World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts, with the latter also expanding to a 48-player field in 2026 to mark the 20th staging of the tournament.

Four other Premier events – the World Grand Prix, Players Championship finals, European Championship and UK Open – will all increase to a £750,000 prize fund, with the World Cup of Darts and World Series of Darts Finals each adding a further £50,000 to their respective pots.

European Tour event prize funds will increase to £230,000 for the 14 tournaments to be held next year, while the 34 Players Championship events will rise to £150,000 each.

Beyond the Pro Tour there will also be a £5,000 per event increase for Challenge Tour, Development Tour and Women’s Series events.

The Women’s World Matchplay will swell to a £40,000 prize fund and there will be a 50 per cent rise in funding for global affiliate tours and overseas development.