PDC chief gives incredibly honest explanation for 'controversial' Darts Premier League lineup as huge names snubbed

PDC chief executive Matt Porter has given an honest explanation after some fans took issue with the 2025 Premier League darts line up.

The eight players were confirmed on Thursday afternoon ahead of the competition getting underway on February 6. Reigning champion Luke Littler, fresh from his first world championship win, qualified automatically alongside Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross after being placed in the top four in the PDC Order of Merit.

Some difficult decisions had to be made for the remaining four spots but the PDC didn't just go off the rankings and instead placed great emphasis on stage presence and popularity.

In the end, World Championships semi-finalists Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey were selected, as well as Nathan Aspinall.

But there were plenty of notable omissions, including former world champions Michael Smith, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson, Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall and Damon Heta.

Appearing on Sky Sports News, Porter gave an insight into how the Premier League players were picked.

He said: "Obviously with Price, Dobey, and Aspinall there are players above them in the rankings who haven't been selected but we have looked at it in terms of big stage presence, popularity, and the way they can get a 10,000 crowd every Thursday going.

"We want people on the edge of their seats. We want people up and enjoying the darts.

"That isn't to say other players can't do that. You have to make decisions on who you feel is right at the time and we feel we have selected players who will deliver that entertainment and that level of entertainment every week."

Luke Littler is the reigning Premier League darts champion. Image: Getty

He added: "We have eight players. We pick the top four in the world then we look at the other contenders, players who have maybe performed well throughout the year or that big stage presence, a decent CV or players ready to prove a point.

"It's been quite open. There are a lot of candidates.

"There's always someone who is disappointed and someone who feels quite lucky."

Littler won last year's event, producing a nine-dart finish in his final victory over Humphries and claiming £275,000 in prize money.

What is the Premier League darts format?

The Premier League will stage events in the likes of Belfast, Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff, Newcastle, Berlin and Manchester before concluding the action on May 29 in London for Finals Night, featuring the top four players in the league standings after 16 weeks.

Games take place every Thursday night from February right through to the end of May, with an eight-person knockout bracket taking place. Players will play each other once in weeks 1 to 7 and then again in weeks 9 to 15.

Each nightly winner gets five points, with the runner up collecting three and the losing semi-finalists gaining two.