The schedule of play for the opening day of the 2025 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals has been confirmed, as Luke Humphries begins his title defence against European Champion Gian van Veen on Friday.
The £600,000 tournament - featuring the top 64 players on the Players Championship rankings following the conclusion of the 34-event 2025 Players Championship season - will take place at Butlin’s Minehead Resort from November 21-23.
Friday's opening day will feature a double session of action across two stages, as reigning champion Humphries - who finished 58th on the Players Championship rankings - opens his bid for a third consecutive Players Championship Finals title against Van Veen, in a repeat of last month’s European Championship showpiece.
Humphries’ showdown against Van Veen will be one of seven Round One ties on the Main Stage on Friday evening, as Luke Littler makes his first appearance since becoming the new world number one.
The newly crowned two-time Grand Slam champion will take on Swedish number one Jeffrey de Graaf in his opener, as he chases a sixth televised ranking title of the year.
Top seed Gerwyn Price - a winner of four Players Championship titles this year - will face Germany’s Max Hopp on the Main Stage, while world number four Stephen Bunting goes head-to-head with former European Champion Ritchie Edhouse.
German number one Martin Schindler plays a resurgent Michael Smith in the evening’s opener, with Schindler’s former World Cup partner Gabriel Clemens pitted against Northern Ireland’s World Cup champion Josh Rock.
Nathan Aspinall will also feature on the Main Stage on Friday evening, as the Stockport star rounds off proceedings against Czechia’s premier player, Karel Sedlacek.
Former finalists Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall and Rob Cross will be amongst the stars in Main Stage action on Friday afternoon, with Cross kicking off proceedings against Poland’s number two Sebastian Bialecki.
Clayton meets James Hurrell for a place in Round Two, while Chisnall faces a tough assignment against 2024 quarter-finalist Ryan Joyce.
World number five James Wade locks horns with Mickey Mansell, Danny Noppert and Ricky Evans collide following impressive Grand Slam campaigns, as former televised title winners Ross Smith and Mike De Decker play rising stars Niko Springer and Cam Crabtree respectively.
The Stage Two action in Reds - which will be streamed worldwide through PDCTV - will begin as former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks goes up against 2024 Grand Slam runner-up Martin Lukeman.
2018 champion Daryl Gurney will play his compatriot Brendan Dolan in another eye-catching tussle, with 2023 UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and Scottish number two Cameron Menzies also set to feature.
European Championship runner-up Jermaine Wattimena kicks off Friday evening’s Stage Two action with an all-Dutch affair against Wesley Plaisier, as 2014 champion Gary Anderson opens his challenge against Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde.
Peter Wright - the Players Championship Finals winner in 2021 - plays number 14 seed Joe Cullen, while Poland’s number one Krzysztof Ratajski and five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld go head-to-head for a place in Round Two.
Wessel Nijman and Richard Veenstra do battle in another all-Dutch showdown, as Chris Dobey, Damon Heta and Dirk van Duijvenbode complete a star-studded Stage Two line-up.
Friday's Round One winners will progress to compete in Saturday’s double session, with Round Two in the afternoon followed by Round Three taking place in the evening.
The tournament then concludes on Sunday November 23, with the afternoon's quarter-finals followed by the semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session.
The Winmau World Youth Championship final will take place between the semi-finals and final on Sunday night, as reigning champion Van Veen faces Women’s Series winner Beau Greaves in a blockbuster encounter.
The 2025 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK, and through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay.
Coverage will also be broadcast on PDCTV (excluding subscribers in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland), while action from Stage Two will be broadcast worldwide on PDCTV on Friday and Saturday.
2025 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals
Draw Bracket
(1) Gerwyn Price v (64) Max Hopp
(32) Rob Cross v (33) Sebastian Bialecki
(16) Martin Schindler v (49) Michael Smith
(17) Niels Zonneveld v (48) Nick Kenny
(8) Stephen Bunting v (57) Ritchie Edhouse
(25) Brendan Dolan v (40) Daryl Gurney
(9) Cameron Menzies v (56) Adam Lipscombe
(24) Bradley Brooks v (41) Martin Lukeman
(4) Ross Smith v (61) Niko Springer
(29) Jeffrey de Graaf v (36) Luke Littler
(13) William O'Connor v (52) Ricardo Pietreczko
(20) Gary Anderson v (45) Mario Vandenbogaerde
(5) Chris Dobey v (60) Keane Barry
(28) Mike De Decker v (37) Cam Crabtree
(12) Jonny Clayton v (53) James Hurrell
(21) Luke Woodhouse v (44) Alan Soutar
(2) Wessel Nijman v (63) Richard Veenstra
(31) Karel Sedlacek v (34) Nathan Aspinall
(15) Danny Noppert v (50) Ricky Evans
(18) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (47) Madars Razma
(7) Gian van Veen v (58) Luke Humphries
(26) Krzysztof Ratajski v (39) Raymond van Barneveld
(10) Josh Rock v (55) Gabriel Clemens
(23) Scott Williams v (42) Ian White
(3) Damon Heta v (62) Justin Hood
(30) Andrew Gilding v (35) Dom Taylor
(14) Joe Cullen v (51) Peter Wright
(19) James Wade v (46) Mickey Mansell
(6) Jermaine Wattimena v (59) Wesley Plaisier
(27) Dave Chisnall v (38) Ryan Joyce
(11) Ryan Searle v (54) Darren Beveridge
(22) Kevin Doets v (43) Callan Rydz
2025 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals
Friday November 21
Round One
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Main Stage
Rob Cross v Sebastian Bialecki
Dave Chisnall v Ryan Joyce
Mike De Decker v Cam Crabtree
Danny Noppert v Ricky Evans
James Wade v Mickey Mansell
Jonny Clayton v James Hurrell
Ross Smith v Niko Springer
Stage Two
Bradley Brooks v Martin Lukeman
Andrew Gilding v Dom Taylor
Scott Williams v Ian White
Niels Zonneveld v Nick Kenny
Kevin Doets v Callan Rydz
Cameron Menzies v Adam Lipscombe
Brendan Dolan v Daryl Gurney
Luke Woodhouse v Alan Soutar
William O'Connor v Ricardo Pietreczko
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Main Stage
Martin Schindler v Michael Smith
Josh Rock v Gabriel Clemens
Gerwyn Price v Max Hopp
Stephen Bunting v Ritchie Edhouse
Jeffrey de Graaf v Luke Littler
Gian van Veen v Luke Humphries
Karel Sedlacek v Nathan Aspinall
Stage Two
Jermaine Wattimena v Wesley Plaisier
Ryan Searle v Darren Beveridge
Wessel Nijman v Richard Veenstra
Krzysztof Ratajski v Raymond van Barneveld
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Madars Razma
Gary Anderson v Mario Vandenbogaerde
Joe Cullen v Peter Wright
Damon Heta v Justin Hood
Chris Dobey v Keane Barry
Saturday November 22
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Round Two
Main Stage
Schedule TBC
Stage Two
Schedule TBC
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Three
Main Stage
Schedule TBC
Stage Two
Schedule TBC
Sunday November 23
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final
Winmau World Youth Championship Final
Beau Greaves v Gian van Veen
Format
Round One - Best of 11 legs
Round Two - Best of 11 legs
Round Three - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs
World Youth Championship Final - Best of 11 legs