It's the most wonderful time of the year, when darting deities from all over the globe descend on Alexandra Palace in North London. 128 in fact, but only one will be lifting the trophy aloft come January 3. This year is the 33rd edition of the PDC World Darts Championship, and the action gets underway on December 11. It’s set to be another thrilling tournament, and you won’t want to miss a single dart thrown. Let GOAL give you the lowdown on how you can catch all the live arrers.
The 2025-2026 edition of the PDC World Darts Championship has a lot to live up to after last year’s extravaganza made headlines on both the front and back pages. Having fallen at the last hurdle twelve months earlier, teenage darting sensation, Luke Littler, was determined not to let it happen again.
The 17-year-old Littler held his nerve in sensational style in the final to see off former three-time world champion, Michael van Gerwen, becoming the youngest ever player to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy in the process. Amazingly, 'The Nuke' averaged 100+ in all bar one of his World Championship matches last year.
Despite continually being in the media spotlight since, Littler has continued to thrive and grow throughout 2025. Having won numerous events, the UK Open, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix to name just a few, the Warrington whizz kid is favourite to become the first player since Gary Anderson in 2016, to go back-to-back at Ally Pally and defend the world championship crown.
Luke Humphries, who beat Littler in the memorable World final two years ago, looks to be the main danger to 'The Nuke'. However, eight former world champions in total will be taking to the oche, hoping to get their hands on the glittering prize and huge prize fund once again.
Let GOAL show you all the info you need ahead of this year’s PDC World Darts Championship, including how to watch the tournament, the schedule and format and how much money is up for grabs at Alexandra Palace.
When is the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26?
The PDC World Darts Championship will take place at Alexandra Palace in North London from Thursday, December 11, through to Saturday, January 3, though no matches are being played between December 24-26 or on December 31 either. The tournament breaks down as follows:
| Round 1 & 2: | December 11-23 |
| Round 3: | December 27-29 |
| Round 4: | December 29-30 |
| Quarter-Finals: | January 1 |
| Semi-Finals: | January 2 |
| Final: | January 3 |
🇬🇧 How to watch the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26 in the UK
For UK viewers, Sky Sports are showing/streaming every match from the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26. As well as being able to watch all the matches on Sky Sports, you can also stream them on NOW and the Sky Sports app. NOW is an instant streaming service offering access to all Sky Sports channels, every Sky Sports+ stream, and much more. It's an app, so customers can sign up and stream instantly across over 60 devices. NOW Sports Memberships also give customers access to all live Sky Sports+ streams as well as Sky Sports documentaries and selected replays and highlights on demand within your membership period. The various membership packages are as follows:
6-Month Saver Membership: £26 a month (6-month minimum term) - Then £34.99 per month unless cancelled.
Day Membership: £14.99 - One-off payment - Your NOW Sports Day Membership starts immediately after purchase and lasts for 24 hours.
Flexible Month Membership: £29.99 a month for 6 months - Cancel anytime.
🇺🇸 How to watch the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26 in the US
In the United States, NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, will be covering this year’s PDC World Darts Championship. It began showing major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events with the Premier League playoffs and final earlier this year. You’ll only need Peacock Premium to catch all the action, which costs $10.99 per month (or $109.99 annually).
Another great streaming service that will let you watch the PDC World Darts Championship is fubo. Fubo offers multiple subscription plans, including the new 'Fubo Sports', which costs $45.99 for the first month and then $55.99 per month for subsequent months. It's streamlined and sports-focused with over 28 channels, including ESPN Unlimited, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Other Fubo plans include the base 'Pro' package (around $85/month), the higher-tier 'Elite' (around $95/month), and there's also a 'Latino' package, which offers sports and entertainment channels in Spanish. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers for all of its plans, and the streaming service is a no-brainer for sports fans.
🛜 How to watch the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26 from anywhere with a VPN
If the PDC World Darts Championship is available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Where is the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26 held?
The PDC World Darts Championship moved from the Circus Tavern in Purfleet to the Alexandra Palace for the first time in 2008, so this will be the 19th edition played at the North London venue. Alexandra Palace’s West Hall, which hosts the World Championship, has a capacity of 3,200 people.
Opened in 1873 and intended as a 'palace for the people', Alexandra Palace's (often referred to as 'Ally Pally') original purpose was to serve as a public centre of recreation, education and entertainment and North London's equivalent of Crystal Palace in South London. Aside from the World Darts Championship, the Alexandra Palace has staged the Masters snooker tournament annually every January since 2012.
What is the format for the PDC World Darts Championship 2025/26
The PDC World Darts Championship is a set-play tournament. Each set is won by the player who wins three legs.
- First & Second round - Best of 5 sets
- Third & Fourth - Best of 7 sets
- Quarter-finals - Best of 9 sets
- Semi-finals - Best of 11 sets
- Final - Best of 13 sets