Record Prize Money On Offer In 2017

PRIZE MONEY in Professional Darts Corporation events will rise to £11.2 million in 2017 as the circuit continues to grow to a record level, with PDC Chairman Barry Hearn also announcing a 12-month freeze on ticket prices from next summer. 

The PDC's remarkable growth over the past decade has seen prize money rise from around £2 million in 2006 to five times that amount during 2016 - and is set to continue next year with another series of prize fund boosts.

The William Hill World Darts Championship will continue its progression in prize money to £1.8 million for the 2017/2018 tournament, with a record £400,000 to the winner - up from this year's £350,000 first prize.

The Betway Premier League will also increase from £725,000 in prize money to £825,000, with £250,000 on offer to the eventual champion, while the BetVictor World Matchplay will feature a £500,000 prize fund with £115,000 to the champion.

The Coral UK Open, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals, Ladbrokes World Series of Darts Finals and Betway World Cup of Darts will also benefit from increased prize funds next year.

In addition, prize money for European Tour events increases to £135,000 per tournament, with a further two events being held next year, while two further Players Championship tournaments will also take place in 2017 and both the PDC Unicorn Development Tour and Challenge Tour will expand to 20 tournaments each.

A £60,000 prize fund will be on offer in each of six international World Series of Darts events next year, which include the inaugural U.S. Darts Masters at the Tropicana Casino Hotel Resort in July.

The record £11.2 million total also includes nine-dart finish bonuses at televised events as well as contributions which the PDC makes to affiliated tours worldwide to aid the global development of the sport.

PDC Chairman Barry Hearn has also announced that ticket prices for PDC televised events in the UK & Ireland will be frozen for a 12-month period, starting from the forthcoming announcement for World Matchplay tickets but also to include the Champions League of Darts, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, World Series of Darts Finals, 2017/2018 World Championship, 2018 Masters and 2018 Premier League.

"This is announcement has two great Christmas presents!" said Hearn. "My first Christmas present is to the players; having delivered excellence they've got every right to be rewarded like never before.

"I said two years ago that my dream was to get to £10 million - I'm scrapping that now and going for £20 million, and we will get there!

"In 40 years of working in sport, this has been the most satisfying period. We've got ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and darts in many ways is working man's golf, where ability is the only barrier to success.

"The good news for the players is that we're going to change their lives through the sport of darts if they've got the ability.

"My second is to the most important people behind the players, the fans. The good news for them is that we're freezing all our ticket prices from the World Matchplay onwards in all UK & Ireland PDC-promoted events.

"Our sponsors and TV partners are so happy with the entertainment we're providing them that they're all paying more money so it's only right and proper that the fans, who got us here in the first place, get the benefit of that."
 

2017 PDC PRIZE MONEY INCREASES

William Hill World Darts Championship

 

2016/2017

2017/2018

Winner

£350,000

£400,000

Runner-Up

£160,000

£170,000

Semi-Finalists

£80,000

£85,000

Quarter-Finalists

£38,000

£40,000

Last 16

£25,000

£27,000

Last 32

£17,000

£18,500

Last 64

£10,000

£11,000

Preliminary Round

£4,500

£4,500

Total

£1,650,000

£1,800,000

 

Betway Premier League

 

2016

2017

Winner

£200,000

£250,000

Runner-Up

£100,000

£120,000

Semi-Finalists

£75,000

£80,000

Fifth Place

£60,000

£65,000

Sixth Place

£50,000

£55,000

Seventh Place

£45,000

£50,000

Eighth Place

£40,000

£45,000

Ninth Place

£30,000

£30,000

Tenth Place

£25,000

£25,000

League Leader’s Bonus

£25,000

£25,000

Total

£725,000

£825,000

 

BetVictor World Matchplay

 

2016

2017

Winner

£100,000

£115,000

Runner-Up

£50,000

£55,000

Semi-Finalists

£27,000

£30,000

Quarter-Finalists

£17,500

£17,500

Last 16

£10,000

£11,000

Last 32

£6,000

£7,000

Total

£450,000

£500,000

 

Grand Slam of Darts

 

2016

2017

Winner

£100,000

£110,000

Runner-Up

£50,000

£55,000

Semi-Finalists

£25,000

£28,500

Quarter-Finalists

£15,000

£16,000

Last 16

£7,500

£10,000

Third In Group

£5,000

£5,000

Fourth In Group

£2,500

£3,000

Group Winner Bonus

£2,500

£2,500

Total

£400,000

£450,000

 

Unibet World Grand Prix

 

2016

2017

Winner

£100,000

£100,000

Runner-Up

£45,000

£45,000

Semi-Finalists

£23,500

£23,500

Quarter-Finalists

£15,000

£15,000

Last 16

£8,500

£8,500

Last 32

£5,000

£5,000

Total

£400,000

£400,000

 

Players Championship Finals

 

2016

2017

Winner

£75,000

£100,000

Runner-Up

£35,000

£40,000

Semi-Finalists

£20,000

£23,000

Quarter-Finalists

£11,500

£12,500

Last 16

£7,500

£8,000

Last 32

£5,000

£5,000

Last 64

£2,000

£2,500

Total

£400,000

£460,000

 

Unibet European Championship

 

2016

2017

Winner

£100,000

£100,000

Runner-Up

£40,000

£40,000

Semi-Finalists

£20,000

£20,000

Quarter-Finalists

£15,000

£15,000

Last 16

£10,000

£10,000

Last 32

£5,000

£5,000

Total

£400,000

£400,000

 

Coral UK Open

 

2016

2017

Winner

£60,000

£70,000

Runner-Up

£30,000

£35,000

Semi-Finalists

£17,000

£17,500

Quarter-Finalists

£10,000

£11,500

Last 16

£5,000

£6,500

Last 32

£3,000

£3,500

Last 64

£1,500

£1,750

Total

£300,000

£350,000

 

Unibet Masters

 

2016

2017

Winner

£60,000

£60,000

Runner-Up

£25,000

£25,000

Semi-Finalists

£17,500

£17,500

Quarter-Finalists

£10,000

£10,000

Last 16

£5,000

£5,000

Total

£200,000

£200,000

 

World Series of Darts Finals

 

2016

2017

Winner

£30,000

£50,000

Runner-Up

£15,000

£25,000

Semi-Finalists

£10,000

£16,500

Quarter-Finalists

£7,500

£12,500

Last 16

£5,000

£7,500

Last 24

£2,500

£4,000

Total

£155,000

£200,000

 

Betway World Cup of Darts

 

2016

2017

Winner (Per Player)

£25,000

£30,000

Runner-Up (Per Player)

£13,000

£16,000

Semi-Finalists (Per Player)

£7,500

£10,000

Quarter-Finalists (Per Player)

£5,000

£7,000

Last 16 (Per Player)

£3,500

£4,000

Last 32 (Per Player)

£1,500

£1,500

Total

£250,000

£300,000

 

World Series of Darts International Events

 

2017 x6

Winner

£20,000

Runner-Up

£10,000

Semi-Finalists

£5,000

Quarter-Finalists

£2,500

Last 16

£1,250

Total

£60,000

 

Unibet Champions League of Darts

 

2016

2017

Winner

£100,000

£100,000

Runner-Up

£50,000

£50,000

Semi-Finalists

£25,000

£25,000

Third In Group

£15,000

£15,000

Fourth In Group

£10,000

£10,000

Total

£250,000

£250,000

 

European Tour Events

 

2016

2017

Winner

£25,000

£25,000

Runner-Up

£10,000

£10,000

Semi-Finalists

£5,000

£6,000

Quarter-Finalists

£3,500

£4,000

Last 16

£2,000

£3,000

Last 32

£1,500

£2,000

Last 48

£1,000

£1,000

Total

£115,000

£135,000

 

Players Championship Events

 

2016 x20

2017 x22

Winner

£10,000

£10,000

Runner-Up

£6,000

£6,000

Semi-Finalists

£3,000

£3,000

Quarter-Finalists

£2,250

£2,250

Last 16

£1,500

£1,500

Last 32

£1,000

£1,000

Last 64

£500

£500

Total

£75,000

£75,000

Total

£1,500,000

£1,650,000

 

UK Open Qualifiers

 

2016 x6

2017 x6

Winner

£10,000

£10,000

Runner-Up

£5,000

£5,000

Semi-Finalists

£2,500

£2,500

Quarter-Finalists

£2,000

£2,000

Last 16

£1,500

£1,500

Last 32

£750

£750

Last 64

£250

£250

Total

£60,000

£60,000

Total

£360,000

£360,000

 

PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour/Development Tour Events

 

2016 x35

2017 x40

Winner

£2,000

£2,000

Runner-Up

£1,000

£1,000

Semi-Finalists

£500

£500

Quarter-Finalists

£300

£300

Last 16

£200

£200

Last 32

£100

£100

Last 64

£50

£50

Total

£10,000

£10,000

Total

£200,000

£200,000

NB: 19x Development Tour & 16x Challenge Tour events in 2016, will be 20 Development Tour & 20 Challenge Tour events in 2016.
 

PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship

 

2016

2017

Winner

£10,000

£10,000

Runner-Up

£5,000

£5,000

Semi-Finalists

£2,500

£2,500

Quarter-Finalists

£1,500

£1,500

Last 16

£1,000

£1,000

Last 32

£500

£500

Last 64

£250

£250

Total

£50,000

£50,000