With the 2026 PDC World Championship coming up, I figured it would be helpful to explain how much money PDC darts players really make.
Players have opportunities to make money in various ways, from the prize money they earn at tournaments to the money they receive for sponsorship deals.
Outside of PDC events, players make money through exhibitions, jersey sponsors and brand deals.
Under that umbrella, for most players, is the brand they sign a deal with that helps them create and customize their own darts that they use in games.
How much do PDC darts players make at events?
Not every player makes enough to play darts full-time, but there are a lot of players who can.
Darts is essentially a 'commission' sport, where players earn money based on their performance at events.
Most players, but not all, who you see at majors and who play often on the Tour at stage events, make enough to play the sport as a full-time job.
The prize money players accumulate in tournaments varies, with the TV majors having larger payouts than smaller events, for example.
In this article, we will mostly dive into the payouts for each type of event in the calendar.
MORE: 2026 PDC Darts World Championship: Draw, schedule, format and prize money
European Tour
Throughout each calendar year, there are over 10 three-day tournaments that are a part of what is known as the European Tour.
They start with 48 players on Day 1, with 16 seeded players getting byes into the second round on Day 2.
Here is the payout structure for those events:
| Result | £ |
| Winner | £30,000 |
| Runner-up | £12,000 |
| Semifinalist | £8,500 |
| Quarterfinalist | £6,000 |
| Last 16 | £4,000 |
| Last 32 | £2,500 |
| Last 48 | £1,250 |
Players Championship events
Players Championship events take place throughout the year, typically during the middle of the week.
Each event takes place on a single day.
There are over 30 PC events each year.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Stage (no. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £125,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £15,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £10,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £5,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £3,500 |
| Last 16 (fourth round) | (8) | £2,500 |
| Last 32 (third round) | (16) | £1,500 |
| Last 64 (second round) | (32) | £1,000 |
PDC World Championship
The WC provides the highest payout for any event, with 2026 having a historic increase in prize money being awarded.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (no. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £5,000,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £1,000,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £400,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £200,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £100,000 |
| Fourth round losers | (8) | £60,000 |
| Third round losers | (16) | £35,000 |
| Second round losers | (32) | £25,000 |
| First round losers | (64) | £15,000 |
| Nine-dart finish | £60,000 | |
Players can earn a £60,000 bonus if they manage to hit a nine-darter at the event, but that wouldn't count towards the prize money total on the Main OoM rankings.
MORE: 2026 PDC Darts World Championship first round predictions: Picking winners in all 64 matches
PDC World Masters
The World Masters is one of several majors on the calendar, with a £100,000 prize for the winner.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (no. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £500,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £100,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £50,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £30,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £17,500 |
| Second round losers | (8) | £10,000 |
| First round losers | (16) | £5,000 |
| Preliminary round Last 16 losers | (8) | £2,500 |
| Preliminary round Last 32 losers | (16) | £1,000 |
| Preliminary round Last 64 losers | (32) | £750 |
UK Open
The UK Open is a multi-day event that has 160 players participating.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Stage (no. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £600,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £110,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £50,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £30,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £15,000 |
| Last 16 (sixth round) | (8) | £10,000 |
| Last 32 (fifth round) | (16) | £5,000 |
| Last 64 (fourth round) | (32) | £2,500 |
| Last 96 (third round) | (32) | £1,500 |
| Last 128 (second round) | (32) | £1,000 |
| Last 160 (first round) | (32) | n/a |
World Matchplay
The Matchplay is a tournament exclusive to 32 players.
It is one of the most coveted events to win and has some of the highest prize money totals available compared to the other majors.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (no. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £800,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £200,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £100,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £50,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £30,000 |
| Second round | (8) | £15,000 |
| First round | (16) | £10,000 |
World Grand Prix
The World Grand Prix has an intriguing double-in, double-out format, with significant prize money available.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (num. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £600,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £120,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £60,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £40,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £25,000 |
| Second round | (8) | £15,000 |
| First round | (16) | £7,500 |
European Championship
32 players qualify for this event based on their results at the ET events throughout the year.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (num. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £600,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £120,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £60,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £40,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £25,000 |
| Second round | (8) | £15,000 |
| First round | (16) | £7,500 |
Grand Slam of Darts
This event has 32 qualifiers, with a group stage format that takes place before the knockout stage.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (num. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £650,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £150,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £70,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £50,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £25,000 |
| Last 16 | (8) | £12,250 |
| Third in group | (8) | £8,000 |
| Fourth in group | (8) | £5,000 |
| Group winner bonus | (8) | £3,500 |
Players Championship Finals
This is the last major to be played at the end of the year before the World Championship.
It's similar to the European Championship, as players qualify for this event through their performances solely at PC events.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (no. Of players) | Prize money (Total: £600,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | (1) | £120,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £60,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £30,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £20,000 |
| Last 16 (third round) | (8) | £10,000 |
| Last 32 (second round) | (16) | £6,500 |
| Last 64 (first round) | (32) | £3,000 |
Premier League of Darts
This is the first unranked event that we will look at.
Unranked means that the money players earn doesn't count towards their placement on the Main OoM rankings.
This league is exclusive to eight players who are nominated/qualify, and are usually eight of the current top players in the world.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £275,000 |
| Runner-up | £125,000 |
| Semi-finalists (x2) | £85,000 |
| 5th place | £75,000 |
| 6th place | £70,000 |
| 7th place | £65,000 |
| 8th place | £60,000 |
| Weekly Winner Bonus (x16) | £10,000 |
| Total | £1,000,000 |
PDC World Cup of Darts
The World Cup of Darts is another unranked event, where countries are represented by their top two-ranked players, in a four-day tournament each year.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Position (no. Of teams) | Prize money (Total: £450,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | (1) | £80,000 |
| Runners-up | (1) | £50,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £30,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £20,000 |
| Last 16 (Second round) | (8) | £9,000 |
| Second in group | (12) | £5,000 |
| Third in group | (12) | £4,000 |
World Series of Darts and World Series of Darts Finals
The World Series is another unranked event, where 16 players compete in two-day events in countries across the world.
*Data via Wikipedia
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £30,000 |
| Runner-up | £16,000 |
| Semi-finals | £10,000 |
| Quarter-finals | £5,000 |
| First round | £1,750 |
| Total | £100,000 |
After all WSoD events are played, there is a championship tournament for the event towards the end of the year.
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £80,000 |
| Runner-up | £40,000 |
| Semi-finals | £25,000 |
| Quarter-finals | £17,500 |
| Second round | £10,000 |
| First round | £5,000 |
| Total | £400,000 |
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