Gian van Veen and Josh Rock are set to make their BetMGM Premier League debuts, as reigning champion Luke Humphries and World Champion Luke Littler headline the hotly contested annual line up:
2026 BetMGM Premier League Field
Luke Littler
Luke Humphries
Gian van Veen
Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton
Stephen Bunting
Josh Rock
Gerwyn Price
Littler capped off a sensational year by retaining the Sid Waddell Trophy on Saturday – becoming only the fourth player in PDC history to win back-to-back World Championship titles.
The 18-year-old now has a second Premier League triumph in his sights, as eight of the sport’s biggest names compete for a record £350,000 top prize across 17 weeks of action from February until May.
Littler claimed UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals and World Championship glory in a remarkable 2025, reaffirming his status as the sport’s premier player.
World number two Humphries preceded his Premier League success with victory in last January’s World Masters, before finishing runner-up at the World Grand Prix, European Championship and Grand Slam of Darts.
However, there will be a fresh look to this year’s line-up, as World Championship runner-up Van Veen and Northern Ireland’s World Cup winner Rock grace the Premier League stage for the first time.
European Champion Van Veen catapulted himself up to world number three following his superb run at Alexandra Palace, which saw him overhaul Michael van Gerwen to become the new Dutch number one.
Van Veen will feature alongside the seven-time Premier League champion in this year’s extravaganza, after Van Gerwen returned to the winner’s circle with a memorable victory in September’s World Series of Darts Finals.
Rock, meanwhile, inspired Northern Ireland to a maiden World Cup victory in June, while also featuring in a hat-trick of televised semi-finals at the UK Open, World Matchplay and World Series of Darts Finals.
2021 champion Jonny Clayton will make his return to the Premier League fold after featuring in a brace of televised finals at the World Masters and World Cup of Darts, having also reached the semi-finals of the UK Open, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.
Clayton will be joined in the eight-player line-up by his World Cup partner Price, who also enjoyed a welcome return to form in 2025, winning five ranking titles and landing two nine-darters during last year’s Premier League, where he was a semi-finalist.
World number seven Stephen Bunting completes the eight-player line-up following a trophy-laden campaign that saw him claim six PDC titles, including World Series wins in Bahrain and Copenhagen, as well as European Tour successes in Riesa and Basel.
“There’s a fresh new look to this year’s line-up, which I’m sure will entertain our incredible crowds across the UK and Europe”, said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.
“The selection for this year’s tournament was particularly difficult given the incredible standard of darts we’ve seen over the last 12 months.
“Following on from a historic World Championship, we’re determined to build on this momentum in 2026, and we’re particularly looking forward to taking the BetMGM Premier League to Belgium for the first time.
“All eight players boast considerable pedigree on the sport’s biggest stages, and following record-breaking ticket sales for the 2026 season, this year’s event promises to be a memorable one.”
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League – which gets underway in Newcastle on February 5 – will see the eight players competing across 16 nights of action, with each league night comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final over the best of 11 legs.
Points will be awarded each night to form the league table, from which the top four players will progress to Finals Night, which will take place at The O2 in London on Thursday May 28.
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
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Images: PDC
