Format changes possible for Premier League Darts
The head of the PDC has suggested that Premier League Darts will undergo format alterations in the coming years, responding to supporter complaints about seeing identical fixtures repeatedly throughout the competition, reports BritPanorama.
Matt Porter indicated that modifications are inevitable, although he maintained that the current structure remains justified based on performance indicators. He emphasised that if spectators ceased purchasing tickets or switched channels, the approach would clearly not be succeeding; however, he noted that “every metric is improving.”
Porter acknowledged the repetitive nature of fixtures as the primary concern raised by critics. “I would accept that that is the biggest criticism of it. There is a lot of repetition,” he stated. The competitive format currently sees eight competitors face each other in a weekly knockout setup, where players meet their rivals at least once during the initial rounds before the same pairings are repeated from weeks nine through fifteen.
The PDC chief pointed out the challenge of catering to audiences across various venues throughout the season. “If you’re in Nottingham, you want to see Littler vs Humphries,” he said, highlighting the importance of ensuring that fans can enjoy the most anticipated matchups in their cities.
Despite acknowledging that future changes are likely, Porter conveyed confidence in the current format, underscoring its alignment with audience engagement. “It’s not a format that will keep forever because we never keep any format forever in the Premier League,” he remarked. “But at the moment, it’s still the right format, we believe, for what we’ve got.”
The tournament began on Thursday evening, with Michael van Gerwen claiming victory on the opening night in Newcastle. Should changes come into play, Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Van Gerwen could all be affected in the evolving landscape of the Premier League Darts.
As the competition develops, the evolving nature of sport becomes evident, those in the stands and on the couches alike will watch with keen interest — because in darts, as in life, the thrill of the unexpected is what keeps everyone coming back.
