Darts World Cup
There has never been so much money
Updated 12/11/2025 – 6:11 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The Darts World Cup in London will be held as an XXL event for the first time. 128 players are fighting for the Sid Waddell Trophy and record prize money.
The Darts World Championship in London will have a new format from Thursday, with doubled prize money and an expanded field of participants. Instead of the previous 96, there are now 128 players who, like in tennis Grand Slams, need seven wins for the title.
The three-week tournament starts on Thursday (at 8 p.m. on Sport1 and DAZN) and lasts until January 3rd. There are no more byes in the first round for stars like world champion Luke Littler.
But not only has the field of participants grown, but also the prize money. The question “Who wants to be a millionaire” can be answered very easily in darts circles in the future: the new world champion, who will receive one million pounds (around 1.15 million euros) for the title, twice as much as before. Association boss Matt Porter said: “The prize money reflects darts’ status as one of the most exciting and sought-after sports in the world.”
The World Cup will take place for the last time in the West Hall of Alexandra Palace in London. Thousands of fans come from Germany to the British capital every year to watch the tournament. In order to increase capacity, the World Cup will be moving to the larger Great Hall next year, which, according to the world darts association PDC, will allow 70,000 additional spectators throughout the entire World Cup.