15 Years of Premier League Darts in Statistics

The Premier League was created by Sky to not only buy into the momentum that the PDC World Championships had created, but also to attempt to replicate the success they had enjoyed with repackaging the national sport, football.

The format has changed little over the years. It is now weekly, as opposed to fortnightly, with each week taking place in a different UK or European city. Each night is not only normally sold out well in advance, but is shown live on Sky Sports. The money this gives to the competitors (prize money goes from £35,000 for a ninth place finish up to £250,000 for the winner) is one huge attraction, but on top of that is the raising of the players’ profiles, plus the experience of high level, pressured tournament darts in front of a vociferous crowd and the television cameras, something that can hardly be quantified.

It being darts, however, there is a lot that can be quantified.

Unsurprisingly, the format rewards the best players over the length of the season and the list of winners reflects the players who were at the very top of the game for that period. In the 15 years it has been running, just five players have won the tournament. Phil Taylor dominated for the early years, winning the first four, and two of the next four.

James Wade, Gary Andersson and Raymond Van Barneveld also tasted success, before the baton was well and truly handed over to Michael van Gerwen. After two runner up medals, MVG has since won the last four tournaments and the darts betting odds are around even money on the Dutchman landing his fifth consecutive Premier League title.

MVG’s dominance is also shown when it comes to the averages. Van Gerwen – who by his own admission has started 2020 slowly - holds the records for both the highest tournament average (107.48 in 2016) and the highest one match average. The latter was recorded against Michael Smith in week 4 of the same year, and was a remarkable 123.40. Unsurprisingly, he ran out the 7-1 winner. MVG has four of the top six one match averages, and four of the top five tournament averages. He also has the highest average for a final, when he registered 112.37 in 2018, once more against Michael Smith. The previous year, Van Gerwen became the first player to average 100 plus in every round.

Based on six points for a win, five for being a losing finalist, four for a semi final, three for a quarter final, two for a last 16 and one for appearing, Phil Taylor sits on top in first place with 62 points. Van Gerwen is second with 40 points and closing in fast. Raymond van Barneveld is in third place with 34, but that is partly down to the fact he has been in more tournaments (14) than anyone else, as well as his one victory and seven semi final appearances. James Wade and Gary Anderson are next, tied on 28 points before a large gap to the chasing pack headed by Adrien Lewis.

Rather surprisingly, MVG does not lead the charts for the highest number of 180s. That accolade goes to Scotland’s Gary Anderson. His 79 maximums in the 2011 tournament is still the highest (the Dutchman is in second and third with 73 and 72). Gary also has the record for the highest number in one match – 11 in his round eight match against Simon Whitlock in the same year.

With Taylor having bowed out, it won’t be long before MVG topples The Power from the top of the table when it comes to tournament wins. There is one record that even he will struggle to match though. Between 2005 and 2008, Taylor went a remarkable 44 consecutive Premier League matches unbeaten.