PDC World Darts Championship

Sixteen rebels, a banned list, and a sport cracked permanently in two.

In 1993, sixteen of the world's top darts players, frustrated by what they saw as the BDO's mismanagement of the sport, broke away to form the World Darts Council (WDC). Led by figures including Phil Taylor, Dennis Priestley, Eric Bristow and John Lowe, the rebels sought better prize money, television coverage and professional standards. The BDO immediately banned all sixteen from its fixtures, setting the stage for years of legal wrangling and a permanent fracture in the sport.

Eight hundred seats, a cabaret venue, and the birth of a broadcasting partnership that still runs today.

The inaugural WDC World Darts Championship took place over the 1993/94 New Year period at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex. A cabaret venue with a capacity of just 800, it was a far cry from the Lakeside's established prestige. Dennis Priestley defeated Phil Taylor 6 sets to 1 in the final to become the first champion. The prize fund was £64,000, with Priestley taking home £16,000. Sky Sports broadcast the occasion, beginning a television partnership that endures to this day.

A single court ruling in 1997 gave players the freedom to choose their organisation; the rebel circuit finally had its legitimacy.

After years of legal battles between the BDO and the breakaway players, the Tomlin Order of June 1997 brought resolution. The court ruling confirmed that players were free to compete in whichever organisation they chose, effectively legitimising the rebel body. The WDC formally renamed itself the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), and the two organisations settled into an uneasy coexistence. Phil Taylor, meanwhile, was establishing his stranglehold on the PDC title, winning his second World Championship that year.

Nine darts, seven sets to nil; Taylor did not just win the final, he erased Peter Manley from it entirely.

In the 2002 final against Peter Manley, Phil Taylor achieved perfection: a nine-dart finish, the first ever seen in a televised PDC World Championship match. Taylor won the final 7-0, one of the most dominant displays in the tournament's history. By this point, Taylor had already won eight of the nine PDC World Championships held, cementing his status as the most dominant force the sport had ever seen. The Circus Tavern's intimate setting made moments like these feel electric, the crowd close enough to touch the oche.

Three sets down, van Barneveld won seven of the last ten to steal the title in sudden death.

The 2007 final between Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld is widely regarded as the greatest darts match ever played. Van Barneveld, who had crossed from the BDO in 2006, defeated Taylor 7-6 in sets after a sudden-death leg. Taylor had been 3-0 up in sets before van Barneveld mounted a remarkable comeback. The match drew over 2 million viewers on Sky Sports. It was the last World Championship final at the Circus Tavern, and the little Essex venue could not have asked for a finer farewell.

Three times the crowd, fancy dress in the aisles, and darts was never the same again.

The 2008 championship marked the move from the 800-capacity Circus Tavern to Alexandra Palace in north London, with room for over 2,500 fans. The shift transformed the occasion from a niche television spectacle into a genuine arena experience. Fancy dress became the norm, the atmosphere grew louder and more theatrical, and the tournament began its evolution into the festive sporting institution it is today. John Part won the 2008 title, defeating Kirk Shepherd 7-2 in the final.

A million-pound prize pot and a quarter of that to the winner; darts had quietly become serious money.

Under Barry Hearn's stewardship of the PDC from 2001, the sport's commercial growth accelerated dramatically. By the 2014 championship, the total prize fund reached £1 million for the first time, with the winner taking home £250,000. The tournament had become a cornerstone of the festive television schedule, regularly drawing audiences of over 1.5 million on Sky Sports. Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen had emerged as genuine challengers to Taylor's dominance, broadening the tournament's appeal.

Sixteen world titles, and his conqueror had only turned professional the year before.

The 2018 championship was Phil Taylor's farewell. Having announced his retirement, "The Power" reached the final one last time but lost 7-2 to Rob Cross, a former electrician who had only turned professional in 2017. Taylor's record of 14 PDC World Championship titles (plus two BDO titles) will almost certainly never be matched. His final walk-on at Alexandra Palace was a genuinely emotional moment, the crowd paying tribute to the player who had defined the PDC era from its very first tournament.

A teenager from Warrington reached the world final at 16 and made the nation forget who actually won.

The 2024 PDC World Darts Championship became a cultural phenomenon thanks to Luke Littler, a 16-year-old from Warrington who became the youngest player ever to reach the final. Littler's run to the final, where he lost 7-4 to Luke Humphries, drew record television audiences and introduced darts to an entirely new generation. Humphries was a worthy champion, but it was Littler's composure, power scoring and sheer precociousness that dominated the headlines. The total prize fund had risen to £2.5 million, with the winner receiving £500,000.

At just 17, Littler beat Van Gerwen 7-3 to become the youngest PDC World Champion the sport has ever seen.

Returning to Alexandra Palace with a year of senior tour experience behind him, Luke Littler completed the story that had begun twelve months earlier. At 17 years old, he defeated Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final to become the youngest PDC World Darts Champion in history. The tournament confirmed that darts had found its next generational talent. In 2026, Littler successfully defended his title, cementing his place as the sport's brightest star and ensuring the PDC World Championship remains the most compelling occasion on the darting calendar.