A dominant Luke Littler booked his place in the World Darts Championship final as the teenage superstar swept aside Stephen Bunting at Alexandra Palace.
Littler looked in an ominous mood throughout a 6-1 win as he set up a mouthwatering showpiece decider against Michael van Gerwen. The 17-year-old will be tough to stop as he looks to go one better than his sensational runner-up finish on debut last year, again averaging in triple figures across the match to allow Bunting seldom a sniff.
Earlier, three-time champion Van Gerwen had shown off his own strength with a similarly one-sided drubbing of Chris Dobey. Last a winner here in 2019, the Dutchman rarely looked threatened by the unfancied Englishman and thundered to a 6-1 win to book his spot in the tournament decider.
Could this be the moment for Littler’s coronation, or will Van Gerwen reclaim his place on top of the darts world? A blockbuster final no doubt awaits between the present and future of the sport.
Follow all of the action from Ally Pally in our live blog below:
World Darts Championship LIVE
- World Darts Championship semi-finals taking place at Alexandra Palace | Live on Sky Sports
- Tournament favourite Luke Littler dominates Stephen Bunting in second semi-final
- Michael van Gerwen books spot in decider with dominant 6-1 win against Chris Dobey
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating World Championship final
Thursday 2 January 2025 23:02 , Chris WilsonIf ever there can be a calm before the storm amid the raucous, alcohol-fuelled cauldron of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, this may have been it.
While semi-final night can often be the highlight of the entire tournament, the 2025 edition crackled at points but never truly turned into evening of darting classics that will live long in the memory. But the reward comes in what it has set up.
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating final
Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
14:48 , Mike JonesTournament stats
Luke Littler’s power scoring has helped him through to the final. The 64 180s he has thrown is a tournament high, while also boasting the highest three-dart average with 102.13.
Life might have been even more comfortable for him had he been clinical on the doubles, as he currently has a 41 per cent checkout rate, though he has taken out the ‘big fish’ 170.
Van Gerwen is second in the race for the Ballon d’Art, having thrown 43 maximums so far. His average is slightly below Littler’s on 99.75 but he has a better checkout rate at 44 per cent. In any other year, these numbers would make him the standout player in the tournament, but not now Littler is in town.
Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
14:34 , Mike JonesRoute to the final
Littler was the pre-tournament favourite and has so far lived up to the bill. He put in a record-breaking performance in his opening round win against Ryan Meikle, with the highest ever single-set average, but was made to work hard against Ian White and was taken to a final-set decider against Ryan Joyce in the fourth round.
He was at his dominant best against Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals before putting in his best display of the tournament when he dismantled Stephen Bunting in the semi-final.
Van Gerwen has taken advantage of being on the other side of the draw to Littler and has made serene progress against players he would always expect to beat.
He began in a hurry against James Hurrell before taking out Brendan Dolan and Jeffrey de Graaf to set up a quarter-final against the surprise package Callan Rydz.
Rydz gave him his biggest challenge of the tournament to date but he triumphed 5-3 before trouncing Chris Dobey 6-1 in the semi-final.
Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
14:19 , Mike JonesLittler’s rising star
Ever since he announced himself to the world this time last year, Littler has not only been the biggest name in darts but also transcended it.
He finished second in BBC Sports Personality of the Year and was the UK’s most Googled sportsman of 2024, as well as making a host of appearances on prime-time chat shows.
And that has undoubtedly put Van Gerwen’s nose out of joint as the Dutchman was the main man following Phil Taylor’s retirement. Winning the title would restore some order in his mind.
Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
14:06 , Mike JonesHead to head
Michael Van Gerwen has spent a lot of 2024 telling his fellow players on the PDC Tour that there is no reason to be scared of Luke Littler, despite his unprecedented success.
The pair have developed a great rivalry during the teenager’s first 12 months on the scene with their 12-match contest tied at 6-6.
There were some high-profile victories for Van Gerwen in there, notably the final of the Dutch Darts Masters and the opening round of the World Matchplay, but Littler won the semi-final in the World Series of Darts.
Littler: “It’s been an amazing tournament so far”
13:53 , Mike JonesSpeaking on stage right after the win over Stephen Bunting, Luke Littler said: “People will say I was looking at the title throughout the tournament but I was looking at the first game against Ryan Meikle, and ever since I’ve just got to beat what’s in front of me. I’m so glad to win tonight.
“I’ve played a lot better and won plenty of titles leading up to this, but that’s what we do, we lead up to the big one. There are majors all year round but I can’t wait for tomorrow night.
“If we both turn up like we did tonight, it [the final] is going to be really good. As soon as Luke Humphries went out, that’s what everyone was looking at. I just had to focus on my quarter-final and semi-final, and now I’ve done that I can focus on Michael tomorrow.
“We all know he’s hunting for that world title but I’m hunting for my first. The same as last night - go home, chill out and be back tomorrow.”
How the Luke Littler effect made darts the sport of 2024
13:38 , Mike JonesIn one of the all-time great pieces of nominative determinism, the man at the epicentre of the poker boom was called Chris Moneymaker.
Moneymaker found himself in the eye of a perfect storm: interest in poker surged after the 1998 film Rounders starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton, at a time when the internet’s arrival spawned poker websites which drew millions of American players. In 2003, ESPN took a punt televising the biggest event in poker, the World Series.
They struck gold with Moneymaker, an accountant from Georgia who became the world champion, beating 852 opponents and turning his $40 buy-in into the $2.5m winner’s prize. He was an ordinary American Joe and his story had an inspirational effect. People who’d never before picked up a deck of cards suddenly wanted to be the next Moneymaker.
Two decades on, there is something of Moneymaker in the Luke Littler story.
Tonight’s Ally Pally action
13:23 , Mike JonesToday sees the final of the 2025 World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Luke Littler will face three-time champion Michael van Gerwen, with the 17-year-old bidding to become the youngest ever winner of the tournament.
It’ll be Littler’s second final in a row, while van Gerwen will be taking part in his seventh final, having lost in 2020 and 2023.
Luke Littler sends Michael Van Gerwen warning after learning from defeat in last year’s final
13:09 , Mike Jones“I think everyone is looking forward to it more than I am, win seven sets, I’ll be happy,” Luke Littler said after victory against Stephen Bunting.
“I’ve gained loads of experience, Michael has been in numerous finals, this is my second, I know where I went wrong last year, I’m sure I’ll fix it.
“It would mean everything, win seven sets and I’ll be over the moon.”
Michael Van Gerwen reacts to reaching World Darts Championship final
12:54 , Mike Jones“I think it was a good display from me,” Van Gerwen said. “In patches, of course, he could have been me under more pressure here and there.
“I think I did the right things in the right moments, it was the most important, a couple of good finishes, I was the one who put him under pressure.
“Maybe [the doubles was the most pleasing part of the performance]. For me the total package has to be right.”
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating World Championship final
12:39 , Mike JonesIf ever there can be a calm before the storm amid the raucous, alcohol-fuelled cauldron of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, this may have been it.
While semi-final night can often be the highlight of the entire tournament, the 2025 edition crackled at points but never truly turned into an evening of darting classics that will live long in the memory. But the reward comes in what it has set up.
The storm will be Friday night’s final. The final that, ever since Luke Littler was put in the same half of the draw as reigning champion Luke Humphries meaning the showpiece could never be a repeat of 12 months ago, fans and organisers alike would have been hoping for.
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating final
World Darts Championship Format
12:24 , Mike JonesFinal: Best of 13 sets
Semi-Final: Best of 11 sets
Quarter-Final: Best of nine sets
Fourth Round: Best of seven sets
Third Round: Best of seven sets
Second Round: Best of five sets
First Round: Best of five sets
How can I watch World Darts Championshipp final?
12:11 , Mike JonesYou can watch the PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel from 15 December, with a live stream on Sky Go and Now TV.
The final begins this evening at 8pm with coverage starting slightly earlier.
When is Littler playing and what’s his route to the 2025 final?
11:56 , Mike JonesAfter defeating Nathan Aspinall 5-2 in an entertaining quarter-final, Luke Littler then beat Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals on Thursday 2 in rather more routine fashion.
Littler therefore once again will be the headline attraction in the final itself, where he will face one of the icons of the game in Michael van Gerwen.
The final is tonight - Friday 3 January 2025 - and is scheduled to start at 8.00pm GMT.
Defending world champion Luke Humphries shockingly crashed out in the fourth round at the hands of Peter Wright, who Bunting beat in the last eight, meaning an easier run on paper for Littler back to the final at the ‘Ally Pally’.
World Darts Championship prize money
11:41 , Mike JonesWinner: £500,000
Runner-Up: £200,000
Semi-Final: £100,000
Quarter-Final: £50,000
Fourth Round: £35,000
Third Round: £25,000
Second Round: £15,000
First Round: £7,500
Total: £2,500,000
What is the prize money at the World Darts Championship?
11:26 , Mike JonesAs the most prestigious tournament in the sport, the World Darts Championship carries the highest prize fund too, with a total pot of around £2.5m.
A large chunk of this is saved for the winner, who bags £500,000 and also takes home the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of famed darts commentator Sid Waddell.
The losing finalist takes home £200,000, while players who lose in the semi-finals are rewarded with £100,000, and those who only make the quarter-finals get £50,000 each.
Even at round three of the competition, players receive £25,000 if they lose, while they take home £35,000 if they lose in round four. The first and second round come with rewards of £7,500 and £15,000 respectively.
How much will Luke Littler make at the World Championships?
11:09 , Mike JonesLuke Littler is the favourite to win the title in January and faces Michael Van Gerwen in the final tonight.
‘The Nuke’ swept past Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals, while ‘MVG’ had too much for Chris Dobey.
But how much money is on the line at Alexandra Palace, and what can players expect to take home if they reach the latter stages of the tournament?
World Darts Championship prize money: How much will winner earn at Ally Pally?
10:55 , Jack RathbornThe PDC World Darts Championship has delivered plenty of shocks and show-stopping moments captivating fans at Alexandra Palace over the festive period.
Luke Littler is the favourite to win the title in January and faces Michael Van Gerwen in the final tonight.
‘The Nuke’ swept past Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals, while ‘MVG’ had too much for Chris Dobey.
This time last year, much was made of a then-16-year-old Littler potentially taking home £500,000 for winning the competition, though he eventually had to ‘settle’ for the runners-up prize of £200,000.
But how much money is on the line at Alexandra Palace, and what can players expect to take home if they reach the latter stages of the tournament?
World Darts Championship prize money: How much will winner earn at Ally Pally?
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating World Championship final
10:40 , Jack RathbornIf ever there can be a calm before the storm amid the raucous, alcohol-fuelled cauldron of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, this may have been it.
While semi-final night can often be the highlight of the entire tournament, the 2025 edition crackled at points but never truly turned into an evening of darting classics that will live long in the memory. But the reward comes in what it has set up.
The storm will be Friday night’s final. The final that, ever since Luke Littler was put in the same half of the draw as reigning champion Luke Humphries meaning the showpiece could never be a repeat of 12 months ago, fans and organisers alike would have been hoping for.
Teenage darting phenom Littler taking on a rejuvenated Michael van Gerwen.
Semi-finals fizzle out but Littler and Van Gerwen set up fascinating final
How the Luke Littler effect made darts the sport of 2024
10:25 , Jack Rathbornn one of the all-time great pieces of nominative determinism, the man at the epicentre of the poker boom was called Chris Moneymaker.
Moneymaker found himself in the eye of a perfect storm: interest in poker surged after the 1998 film Rounders starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton, at a time when the internet’s arrival spawned poker websites which drew millions of American players. In 2003, ESPN took a punt televising the biggest event in poker, the World Series.
They struck gold with Moneymaker, an accountant from Georgia who became the world champion, beating 852 opponents and turning his $40 buy-in into the $2.5m winner’s prize. He was an ordinary American Joe and his story had an inspirational effect. People who’d never before picked up a deck of cards suddenly wanted to be the next Moneymaker.
Two decades on, there is something of Moneymaker in the Luke Littler story. Like Moneymaker, Littler doesn’t necessarily look like the archetypal sporting superstar, and there is something relatable in that. Moneymaker was an ordinary accountant, and Littler is an ordinary teenager who likes computer games and junk food. Against the backdrop of his humanity, his godly talent is all the more mesmerising to watch.
Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen odds
10:10 , Jack RathbornMatch odds
Luke Littler: 4/11
Michael van Gerwen: 2/1
Match handicap
Luke Littler (-2.5 Sets): 10/11
Michael van Gerwen (+2.5 Sets): 4/5
Other odds
Under 37.5 180s: 4/6
Over 37.5 180s: 11/10
Luke Littler To Hit a 9 Dart Finish: 11/2
Michael van Gerwen To Hit a 9 Dart Finish: 8/1
Luke Littler To Hit a 170 Checkout: 11/8
Michael van Gerwen To Hit a 170 Checkout: 9/4
Michael Van Gerwen storms into World Darts Championship final
09:55 , Jack Rathborn
The Sidemen enjoy night at the World Darts Championship
09:40 , Jack RathbornYouTuber Ethan Payne, a co-founder and member of the Sidemen, ejoyed his stag do at ‘Ally Pally’ last night for the World Darts Championship semi-finals.
Enjoy the stag do @Behzinga... 🙌 pic.twitter.com/0GRleLzgf5
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 2, 2025
Michael Van Gerwen reacts to reaching World Darts Championship final
09:25 , Jack Rathborn“The train is still moving and that’s a good thing. It means the world to me [to reach another final], but we’re still a long way away,” Van Gerwen said.
“You need to make sure you keep battling your own battles. I always keep focusing on my own appearance, that’s a key thing to me.
It [being a former champion] will be really important, I didn’t win anything yet, I want to win, that’s the only thing that counts at the moment.
“It would mean a lot to me, that’s one thing for sure, 100 percent, but as I said, it’s still far away.”
Michael Van Gerwen reacts to reaching World Darts Championship final
09:10 , Jack Rathborn"I think it was a good display from me," Van Gerwen said. "In patches, of course, he could have been me under more pressure here and there.
“I think I did the right things in the right moments, it was the most important, a couple of good finishes, I was the one who put him under pressure.
“Maybe [the doubles was the most pleasing part of the performance]. For me the total package has to be right.”
Luke Littler storms into World Darts Championship final
08:55 , Jack Rathborn
Luke Littler sends Michael Van Gerwen warning after learning from defeat in last year’s final
08:40 , Jack Rathborn“I think everyone is looking forward to it more than I am, win seven sets, I’ll be happy,” Littler adds after victory against Stephen Bunting.
“I’ve gained loads of experience, Michael has been in numerous finals, this is my second, I know where I went wrong last year, I’m sure I’ll fix it.
“It would mean everything, win seven sets and I’ll be over the moon.”
Luke Littler reacts to reaching World Darts Championship final
08:24 , Jack Rathborn"As soon as that winning double went in, I knew back-to-back finals," Littler says. "It's chill out, reset the batteries and go again tomorrow.
“I felt very confident tonight, it's not the best I've felt, the best I've felt was against Nathan in the semi-finals, but I'm just glad I'm playing with confidence.
“I'm hitting the shots when I need to, Stephen was right behind me throughout the game, I couldn't step off the gas.”
World Darts Championship final 2025
07:00 , Chris WilsonSo, today sees the final of the 2025 World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Luke Littler will face three-time champion Michael van Gerwen, with the 17-year-old bidding to become the youngest ever winner of the tournament.
It’ll be Littler’s second final in a row, while van Gerwen will be taking part in his seventh final, having lost in 2020 and 2023.
TV coverage of the final begins at 8pm, with the match beginning shortly after.
World Darts Championship 2025: Scores, schedule and results
06:00 , Chris WilsonThe PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 reaches a thrilling finale to conclude a packed festive period of action at Alexandra Palace.
And we now know the final match-up of 2025, with Luke Littler facing Michael van Gerwen.
Here’s everything you need to know.
How can I watch tonight’s darts final?
05:00 , Chris WilsonYou can watch the PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel, with a live stream on Sky Go and Now TV.
Tonight’s coverage begins at 8pm GMT, with the match expected to begin up to 30 minutes later.
Premier League Darts 2025: Schedule, tickets, venues and potential line-up including Luke Littler
04:00 , Chris WilsonWith all the news surrounding the World Championship, here’s a look at the next big tournament of the year – Premier League Darts.
The Littler effect continues to transform the sport, with Belfast’s SSE Arena hosting the opening night of the new season on 6 February in 2025, leaving just a month between the final at ‘Ally Pally’ and the start of a wild tour throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe with 17 venues in total.
Reigning champion Littler will return, having produced nine darts from the gods on his way to victory in May, while world No. 1 Luke Humphriesis sure to be back, as eight players battle for both the prestigious title and £1m in prize money.
The season-ending Play-Offs conclude on an action-packed night at The O2 in London on 29 May, with the final places up for grabs in the coming days.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Premier League and a potential line-up.
Premier League Darts 2025: Schedule, tickets, venues and line-up
World Darts Championship 2025: Scores, schedule and results
03:00 , Chris WilsonThe PDC Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2024/25 reaches a thrilling finale to conclude a packed festive period of action at Alexandra Palace.
And we now know the final match-up of 2025, with Luke Littler facing Michael van Gerwen.
Here’s everything you need to know.
World Darts Championship prize money
02:00 , Chris WilsonWinner: £500,000
Runner-Up: £200,000
Semi-Final: £100,000
Quarter-Final: £50,000
Fourth Round: £35,000
Third Round: £25,000
Second Round: £15,000
First Round: £7,500
Total: £2,500,000
World Darts Championship prize money: How much will winner earn at Ally Pally?
01:00 , Chris WilsonThis time last year, much was made of a then-16-year-old Littler potentially taking home £500,000 for winning the competition, though he eventually had to ‘settle’ for the runners-up prize of £200,000.
But how much money is on the line at Alexandra Palace, and what can players expect to take home if they reach the latter stages of the tournament?
World Darts Championship prize money: How much will winner earn at Ally Pally?
World Darts Championship format
00:00 , Chris WilsonA reminder of the format for tomorrow’s final, which is a match that is best of 13 sets (otherwise known as first to seven sets).
If the score in the final set reaches 6-6, then a sudden-death leg will be played. There would be no throw for the bull in any sudden-death legs.
The early odds have Littler as 2/5 favourite.
Littler beats Bunting 6-1 to make the final!
Thursday 2 January 2025 23:30 , Chris WilsonIt’s back-to-back finals for Littler as he again bids to become the youngest world championship winner ever.
He’ll contest the final against Michael van Gerwen tomorrow from around 8pm GMT at Alexandra Palace.
Part: Littler is favourite
Thursday 2 January 2025 23:20 , Chris WilsonOn Sky Sports, three-time world champion John Part says that Littler is the favourite for the final.
“It was similar to his quarter-final. A really good start to the match and he outplayed him,” said Part.
“Littler looks every bit favourite for the final and that won’t change based on what we saw tonight,” he adds.
“We can expect a wily veteran on Van Gerwen, who is determined to get the title.
“This is going to be a sprint from the start line for these guys to try and assert themselves.”
Littler: “It’s been an amazing tournament so far"
Thursday 2 January 2025 23:10 , Chris WilsonSpeaking on stage right after the win, Littler says his tournament has been amazing so far.
“People will say I was looking at the title throughout the tournament but I was looking at the first game against Ryan Meikle, and ever since I’ve just got to beat what’s in front of me. I’m so glad to win tonight.
“I’ve played a lot better and won plenty of titles leading up to this, but that’s what we do, we lead up to the big one. There are majors all year round but I can’t wait for tomorrow night.
“If we both turn up like we did tonight, it [the final] is going to be really good. As soon as Luke Humphries went out, that’s what everyone was looking at. I just had to focus on my quarter-final and semi-final, and now I’ve done that I can focus on Michael tomorrow.
“We all know he’s hunting for that world title but I’m hunting for my first. The same as last night - go home, chill out and be back tomorrow.”
Littler beats Bunting 6-1 to make the final!
Thursday 2 January 2025 23:00 , Chris WilsonHere’s a replay of that brilliant 170 checkout from Littler.
Luke Littler is very good at darts.pic.twitter.com/8P8Z2JrrH6
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 2, 2025
Littler beats Bunting 6-1 to make the final!
Thursday 2 January 2025 22:52 , Chris WilsonOne last leg potentially then.
Bunting needs 156, with Littler needing 40. The former steps up, but misses the second T20...
Littler steps up to book his place in the final – and he lands tops to wrap up a 6-1 win!
A brilliant performance from the 17-year-old.
