At A Glance: 2026/27 Purse Highlights
Champion's Cheque
The winner earns £1M plus the historic Sid Waddell Trophy, doubling the previous £500,000 top prize.
First Round Exit
Even players eliminated in the opening round of 128 receive £15,000 towards their Order of Merit total.
Order of Merit Impact
Every single pound won is credited directly to the player's 2-year rolling world ranking total.
Official Round-by-Round Prize Money Distribution
Following the field expansion to 128 players, the PDC updated the prize pool across every stage of the competition:
| Round Reached | Field Size | Match Format | Prize Per Player | Round Total Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner (World Champion) | 1 | Best of 13 Sets | £1,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
| Runner-Up | 1 | Best of 13 Sets | £400,000 | £400,000 |
| Semi-Finalists | 2 | Best of 11 Sets | £200,000 | £400,000 |
| Quarter-Finalists | 4 | Best of 9 Sets | £100,000 | £400,000 |
| Fourth Round (Last 16) | 8 | Best of 7 Sets | £60,000 | £480,000 |
| Third Round (Last 32) | 16 | Best of 7 Sets | £35,000 | £560,000 |
| Second Round (Last 64) | 32 | Best of 5 Sets | £25,000 | £800,000 |
| First Round (Last 128) | 64 | Best of 5 Sets | £15,000 | £960,000 |
| Total Tournament Prize Fund | £5,000,000 | |||
2026/27 Factual Verification Status
Every prize-money figure is classified according to official PDC confirmation status:
| Prize Claim / Metric | Status | Authoritative Source | Last Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| £5,000,000 Total Purse | CONFIRMED 2026/27 | PDC Official Tournament Regulations (pdc.tv) | 2026-10-03 |
| £1,000,000 Winner's Prize | CONFIRMED 2026/27 | PDC Official Announcement (pdc.tv) | 2026-10-03 |
| £15,000 First-Round Prize | CONFIRMED 2026/27 | PDC 128-Player Prize Fund Distribution | 2026-10-03 |
| Round-by-Round Breakdown | CONFIRMED 2026/27 | PDC Official Payout Schedule | 2026-10-03 |
| £60,000 Nine-Dart Bonus | EXPECTED / NOT YET CONFIRMED | Historical Title Sponsor Precedent (Paddy Power) | 2026-10-03 |
| Order of Merit 1:1 Treatment | CONFIRMED 2026/27 | PDC Rulebook (Rule 3.1) | 2026-10-03 |
Special Achievement Bonuses: Nine-Darter Prize
🎯 9-Dart Finish Bonus: £60,000
EXPECTED / PENDING SPONSOR TERMSStatus: Expected / Not Yet Formally Confirmed for 2026/27. While the core £5,000,000 tournament purse is officially confirmed by the PDC, individual nine-dart finish bonuses are historically funded by title sponsors (such as Paddy Power) and will be confirmed closer to the tournament. If multiple players achieve a nine-darter during the championship, the bonus pool is typically divided equally or matched per occurrence under sponsor contract terms.
See the full list of perfect legs thrown in tournament history on our World Championship Nine-Darters Archive.
Does World Championship Prize Money Count for the Order of Merit?
Yes. The PDC World Darts Championship is the most influential ranking event in professional darts. The relationship between tournament earnings and world rankings operates under strict regulations:
- 1:1 Ratio: Every £1 won at Alexandra Palace counts as £1 on the official PDC Order of Merit.
- Two-Year Rolling Window: The Order of Merit operates on a rolling 24-month calculation. Prize money won at the 2026/27 event replaces the prize money won at the 2024/25 championship.
- Defending Money: Players who reached the later rounds two years prior face significant ranking defense pressure. A player defending £200,000 who exits in Round 2 will experience a net drop of £175,000 in their ranking total.
- Non-Ranking Contrast: Unlike the World Championship, invitational events like Premier League Darts do not award Order of Merit money regardless of purse size.
Historical Prize Money Growth (1994 – 2027)
Since Dennis Priestley won the inaugural PDC World Darts Championship at the Circus Tavern in 1994, the total prize fund has grown by over 7,700%:
| Tournament Era | Host Venue | Total Fund | Winner's Share | Notable Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 (Inaugural WDC) | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | £64,000 | £16,000 | Dennis Priestley (England) |
| 2002 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | £200,000 | £50,000 | Phil Taylor (England) |
| 2006 | Circus Tavern, Purfleet | £500,000 | £100,000 | Phil Taylor (England) |
| 2010 | Alexandra Palace (West Hall) | £1,000,000 | £200,000 | Phil Taylor (England) |
| 2014 | Alexandra Palace (West Hall) | £1,050,000 | £250,000 | Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands) |
| 2019 – 2025 | Alexandra Palace (West Hall) | £2,500,000 | £500,000 | Michael van Gerwen (2019), Peter Wright (2020/22), Gerwyn Price (2021), Michael Smith (2023), Luke Humphries (2024) |
| 2026/27 (Current Era) | Alexandra Palace (Great Hall) | £5,000,000 | £1,000,000 | To be decided (Tournament scheduled Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027) |
Explore The Tournament Ecosystem
📊 PDC Order of Merit Guide
Understand how 2-year rolling prize money dictates seedings and qualification.
🏆 Finals Weekend Schedule
Full breakdown of session times and dates for the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and Final.
🗺️ 128-Player Tournament Draw
Track provisional seedings and qualification routes into the official bracket.
📜 World Champions Roll of Honour
Complete historical list of every World Darts Champion and final score since 1994.