Darts chief hints at major Premier League change with Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Co set to be impacted
The head of the PDC has suggested that Premier League Darts will undergo format alterations in the coming years, responding to supporter complaints about seeing identical fixtures repeatedly throughout the competition.
Matt Porter indicated that modifications are inevitable, though he maintained the current structure remains justified based on performance indicators.
“We will change it at some point, but at the moment you can only look at the numbers that are in front of you,” Porter told the Metro.
“The live crowd and the TV audience, the numbers are telling us that the format is working.”
He noted that if spectators ceased purchasing tickets or switched channels, the approach would clearly not be succeeding, but currently “every metric is improving.”
Porter also emphasised that no format in the Premier League has ever been permanent, pointing to the tournament’s extensive history of evolution.
“It’s not a format that will keep forever because we never keep any format forever in the Premier League,” he said.
The head of the PDC has suggested that Premier League Darts will undergo format alterations in the coming years, responding to supporter complaints about seeing identical fixtures repeatedly throughout the competition
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“The format must have changed half a dozen times in the 20 years of the event.”
Despite acknowledging future changes are certain, the PDC chief expressed confidence in the current setup.
“But at the moment, it’s still the right format, we believe, for what we’ve got,” Porter added.
Five facts darts fans might not know | PA/GBNEWS
The competition began on Thursday evening, with Michael van Gerwen claiming victory on the opening night in Newcastle.
Porter conceded that the repetitive nature of fixtures represents the primary concern raised by critics of the current system.
“I would accept that that is the biggest criticism of it. There is a lot of repetition,” he acknowledged.
The tournament structure sees eight competitors face one another in a weekly knockout format, with each player meeting their rivals at least once during the initial rounds before the same pairings are repeated from weeks nine through fifteen.
Porter suggested the perspective differs depending on how supporters engage with the event.
“But you’re looking at it through the eyes of somebody who’s perhaps watching it on TV every week,” he explained.
Michael van Gerwen returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Thursday night
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GETTYPorter defended the approach by highlighting the challenge of satisfying audiences across multiple venues throughout the season.
“If you’re in Nottingham, you want to see Littler vs Humphries,” he said.
“If you’re in Aberdeen, you might want to see the same, and if you’re in Brighton, you might want to see the same.”
The PDC chief argued that denying certain cities access to the most anticipated contests would prove problematic.
“It’s very difficult to turn around to people and say, ‘oh, sorry, you can’t see the biggest matchup in your city,'” Porter explained.
Should the changes come into play, then the likes of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Van Gerwen will all be impacted.
