Three Proposed Changes to Enhance the Premier League Darts Format
Following Luke Littler’s 11-8 loss to Luke Humphries in the 2025 Premier League Darts final on May 29, 2025, and his earlier suggestion to include Belgium in the schedule, discussions about improving the tournament’s format have gained traction, per Express.co.uk. The current eight-player knockout format, introduced in 2022, has drawn criticism for repetitive matchups and player fatigue, as highlighted by fans on X, like @SunSport, and analysts like Wayne Mardle, per Mirror.co.uk. Below are three proposed changes to address these issues, drawing on Littler’s influence and the need for a refreshed competition, while connecting to the resilience of athletes like Chris Evert, who faced scrutiny for her Zverev comments.
1. Expand European Venues, Including Belgium
Littler’s request to add Belgium to the Premier League schedule, made after a Euro Tour event, was noted by Express.co.uk as a viable way to broaden the tournament’s appeal, per Express.co.uk. Currently, only Berlin and Rotterdam host European nights among the 17-week schedule, per PDC.tv. Adding Belgium, with its passionate darts fanbase, could boost engagement, as Littler suggested: “I’m very happy to retain the title in front of these great fans,” per Express.co.uk. A third European venue, such as Antwerp’s Sportpaleis, would diversify the £1 million tournament’s footprint, complementing UK and Irish arenas like Belfast’s SSE Arena, per Dartscorner.co.uk. This aligns with the PDC’s cross-continental growth, per SkySports.com, and mirrors Evert’s need to adapt to new realities, like Zverev’s clay success, per TheTennisGazette.com.
2. Stretch the Schedule to Combat Fatigue
The 17 consecutive Thursday nights from February to May, as outlined by BBC.com, have led to player burnout, with Littler stating post-final, “I’m glad it’s over,” per Express.co.uk. To address this, the PDC could spread the 16 regular-season nights over 20 weeks, incorporating bye weeks, similar to NFL scheduling. This would allow players like Humphries, who averaged 92.6 in the final, and Littler, with a 95.27 average, to recover from Players Championship and Euro Tour commitments, per BBC.com. A longer schedule would sustain fan interest, as Express.co.uk suggests, and reduce physical strain, akin to Emma Raducanu’s struggles with heavy balls, per BBC.com. Posts on X, like @DExpress_Sport, echo calls for a less grueling format, per.
3. Reintroduce a Round-Robin Element
The mini-tournament format, with best-of-11-leg matches and points (5 for winners, 3 for runners-up, 2 for semi-finalists), has led to repetitive Littler-Humphries clashes, reducing excitement, per Express.co.uk. Wayne Mardle advocated returning to a round-robin system, per Mirror.co.uk, where players face each other in league-style matches. A hybrid approach could see weeks 1-7 and 9-15 as round-robin (each player meets others twice), with weeks 8 and 16 as knockout events based on standings, per Darthelp.com. The top four would still advance to best-of-19-leg semi-finals and a best-of-21-leg final, per SkySports.com. This would diversify matchups, as Littler’s 23 meetings with Humphries in 2025 fatigued fans, per Express.co.uk, and reflects Evert’s need to correct misconceptions, per TheTennisGazette.com.
Conclusion
To improve the 2025 Premier League Darts, the PDC could add Belgium to the schedule, as Littler requested, stretch the 17-week season to ease fatigue, and blend round-robin and knockout formats to avoid repetitive matchups, per Express.co.uk, Mirror.co.uk. These changes would enhance the £1 million tournament’s appeal, per Dartscorner.co.uk, and align with the PDC’s innovation history, per SkySports.com. Like Evert’s Zverev correction, Gauff’s Alcaraz anecdote, and Raducanu’s ball concerns, these adjustments show adaptability. Littler and Humphries return for the 2026 season, starting February, live on Sky Sports.
