The 2025 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals gets underway on Friday, as reigning champion Luke Humphries begins his bid for a third consecutive title at Butlin’s Minehead Resort.
The £600,000 tournament - featuring the top 64 players on the 2025 Players Championship rankings - will take place from November 21-23, as the sport’s biggest names go head-to-head across three days of action.
Friday’s blockbuster opening day will see 32 matches split across the Main Stage and Stage Two, with reigning champion Humphries, World Champion Luke Littler and top seed Gerwyn Price amongst the headline acts.
Following his incredible comeback victory over Michael van Gerwen in 2023, Humphries – who finished 58th on this year’s Players Championship rankings - retained his title with an 11-7 success against Littler in last year’s showpiece.
However, the 30-year-old faces a tough opening assignment against Dutch star Gian van Veen, in a repeat of last month’s European Championship final in Dortmund.
“I don’t think there’s many players that have won this tournament three times in a row, so hopefully I can create a bit more history this weekend,” admitted Humphries.
“I’m feeling really confident. I know I’ve lost three major finals in a row, but when you’re playing well you always feel another chance is going to come around straight away.
“Gian is a potential winner of every tournament at the moment. He’s going to be a formidable force, but it’s up to me to stop him tomorrow.”
It will also be a landmark weekend for Littler, who returns to action for the first time since being officially crowned as the new world number one.
Littler secured his spot at the darting summit by retaining his Grand Slam of Darts crown on Sunday, which saw him become the youngest world number one in PDC history.
The Warrington wonderkid is now setting his sights on a sixth televised ranking title of the 2025 season, as he opens his challenge against Sweden’s number one Jeffrey de Graaf.
“It's going to be a very special feeling coming in as the world number one," insisted Littler, the number 36 seed this weekend.
"I came up just short here last year, so hopefully I can tick this one off the list, because it's one of the few televised tournaments I've never won."
"I don't think it matters what seed you are. Nothing is going to be easy, but hopefully I can build on the form I produced at the Grand Slam."
Littler and Humphries have been the dominant forces on the sport’s biggest stages this year, although the Players Championship circuit has been monopolised by another former World Champion in Price.
The Welshman has displayed remarkable consistency on the ProTour circuit, winning a quartet of Players Championship titles and featuring in a further two finals, despite only competing in 21 events.
"Going in as the number one seed definitely gives me confidence," declared Price, who will take on Germany’s Max Hopp for a place in Round Two.
"I've played consistently well on the floor, but now I need to start replicating that in the TV events, and fingers crossed I can do that in Minehead.
"I'm expecting a tough game against Max. He's only been back on the circuit this year, but he's a great player. I won't be taking him lightly, but it's a game I believe I can come through."
Price’s fellow countryman Jonny Clayton will enter the fray on the Main Stage on Friday afternoon, with the Welsh number one pitted against James Hurrell in his opener.
Former finalists Dave Chisnall and Rob Cross face Ryan Joyce and Sebastian Bialecki respectively, with world number five James Wade and in-form Dutchman Danny Noppert also set to star.
Elsewhere, former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker meets rising star Cam Crabtree, while fourth seed Ross Smith goes up against Ryan Meikle. The Suffolk star has been drafted in as a late replacement for Niko Springer, who withdrew from the event through illness.
German number one Martin Schindler kicks off the evening’s play on the Main Stage against a resurgent Michael Smith, before Gabriel Clemens locks horns with World Cup champion Josh Rock.
World number four Stephen Bunting tackles 2024 European Champion Ritchie Edhouse in another eye-catching tie, as Czech number one Karel Sedlacek and former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall collide.
The Stage Two action in Reds - which will be streamed worldwide through PDCTV – also features a host of high-profile names, including Scottish stalwarts Gary Anderson and Peter Wright.
Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde awaits 2014 champion Anderson in Round One, while 2021 winner Wright renews his rivalry with former Masters champion Joe Cullen in a mouth-watering encounter.
Somerset star Ryan Searle – runner-up to Wright in 2021 – marks his return to home soil against Darren Beveridge, with second seed Wessel Nijman also in Stage Two action on Friday evening.
Damon Heta, Chris Dobey, Jermaine Wattimena and Dirk van Duijvenbode also headline on Stage Two, as Poland’s number one Krzysztof Ratajski goes up against five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld.
2018 champion Daryl Gurney will play his compatriot Brendan Dolan in arguably the pick of Friday afternoon’s Stage Two fixtures, while 2023 Ladbrokes UK Open champion Andrew Gilding eyes another memorable Minehead victory.
Friday's winners will progress to compete in Saturday’s double session, with Round Two in the afternoon followed by Round Three later 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 be held 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 (65) Ryan Meikle (Niko Springer withdrew through illness)
(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 Ryan Meikle
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