The new Premier League of Darts: Bullseye or madhouse?

The Premier League of Darts has become such an established part of the darting calendar that it is sometimes easy to forget it has only been going since 2005. This year saw the biggest changes to its format since it began. The changes make each event a more standalone one, as opposed to merely one part of the larger tournament. It is a format that, even more than before, a free bet promotion such as the ones provided by bookmarkers like Bet365 are ideal for punters on that night's winner or the number of maximums. But other than that, how has it gone down? Is it an improvement on what we had before, and is it here to stay?

Here are the major changes to the tournament. 

Did it need to change? In a way yes. It is always a risk changing something that is still successful, but even the league’s greatest fans would admit the previous format did allow for several matches to be played where one or indeed both players had very little to play for apart from professional pride, and that is hardly good for the sport or something that will entice fans into the arenas or onto the TV channel. It is far better to make changes when it still has a huge following as opposed to responding with knee jerk reactions when those fans are leaving in droves.

So has it been a success? It is of course still early doors, but early signs are certainly encouraging. The format means that the night builds to a conclusion with a definite outcome. There are also two more matches than previously, and both tweaks have been evident with some incredible scenes across the nation’s towns and cities.

The new format does put extra pressure on the players. Winning matches is one thing, but unless you are able to win a final, the kudos will just not be there. That may seem somewhat unfair, but this is professional sport. Overall it has been met with almost universal acclaim. It is hard to see anything changing at least for another season, and it's pretty much a dead cert that we are looking at what will be the Premier League of Darts format for several years to come.