Michael van Gerwen claimed victory on the opening night of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Newcastle — but fans were left with one familiar complaint.
The three-time world champion lifted the week-one title after edging out fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen 6-4 in Thursday night’s final at the Utilita Arena.
Van Gerwen began his campaign in emphatic fashion with a 6-2 quarter-final win over Stephen Bunting, before repeating the scoreline against reigning Premier League champion Luke Humphries in the semi-finals. It marked a statement start for the 36-year-old, who failed to win a single night during the 2025 Premier League season.
World champion Luke Littler, meanwhile, saw his night end early after a surprise quarter-final defeat to Van Veen. The Dutch debutant then overcame Jonny Clayton to reach the final, capping an impressive first appearance on the Premier League stage.
Despite Van Gerwen averaging below 100 in both his semi-final and final victories, he was relentless on the scoring front, firing in six maximums against Van Veen and maintaining pressure at key moments. His consistency proved decisive as he collected the first five league points of the 2026 campaign.
The standard of darts across the evening was widely praised. Clayton came agonisingly close to landing a nine-darter in his 6-2 victory over Josh Rock, eventually posting a superb 109.81 average. Sky Sports’ coverage also received positive feedback, with Emma Paton fronting the broadcast alongside Glen Durrant, Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster.
However, despite the quality on show, discussion quickly turned to the Premier League format itself.
The current structure sees eight players contest a weekly knockout tournament over 16 weeks, with rotating quarter-final pairings. While designed to guarantee high-profile matchups for live audiences, many fans believe it leads to repetition and diminishes the significance of league consistency.
One viewer wrote on social media: “It’s only week one, but the Premier League could really do with a refresh.”
Another added: “The format has to change. You can dominate the league phase and it doesn’t count for much in the end. Go back to a full league system.”
A third commented: “I’m amazed they’ve stuck with this format for so long. They need to think outside the box.”
Others suggested alternatives, including introducing shorter set formats similar to those used at the World Masters to add variety and jeopardy.
PDC chief executive Matt Porter has already acknowledged those criticisms, admitting the format can feel repetitive for regular TV viewers. Speaking to Metro ahead of the opening night, Porter explained that internal data continues to support the current structure.
“We will change it at some point,” Porter said. “But right now, the live crowd numbers and TV audiences tell us the format is working.
“It’s not something we’ll keep forever — the Premier League format has changed multiple times over the last 20 years — but at the moment we believe it’s right for what we have.
“I understand the repetition criticism, but if you’re attending a night in Nottingham, Aberdeen or Brighton, you want to see Littler versus Humphries. It’s very difficult to tell fans they can’t see the biggest match-ups in their city.”
For now, the format remains — and Van Gerwen has wasted no time reminding everyone he is still very much a force in the Premier League conversation.
Comments are closed.