The 2015 PDC World Darts Championship gets underway tonight, running through to Sunday January 4th.
The tournament takes place at the Alexandra Palace and is scheduled to start on Thursday, December 18th at 19:10 GMT.
In the UK, the World Darts Championship airs live on Sky Sports 3/Sky Sports 3 HD and online (see here), while outside of the UK, the action is also streaming live online with 365.
Preview:
The sport’s show-piece tournament will be held across 20 sessions in 14 days of play at London’s spectacular Alexandra Palace venue throughout the Christmas and New Year period, as players from 21 countries do battle for the Sid Waddell Trophy.
The six days of play from December 18-23 ahead of the Christmas break will feature the preliminary and first rounds, with the second round and third round held from December 27-30 before the tournament returns on New Year’s Day for the Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and final.
The 22nd PDC World Championship features a record prize fund of £1.25million, with the winner pocketing a cool £250,000 – the richest prize in darts history.
Michael van Gerwen heads to Ally Pally as reigning champion for the first time, and is aiming to become only the third player in PDC history to have successfully defended the world title – behind Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.
Taylor is hunting down an unprecedented 17th world crown as he bids to avenge his second round exit on this stage 12 months ago and follow up his recent World Matchplay and Grand Slam triumphs.
Gary Anderson heads into the tournament on the back of a dream win at the Players Championship Finals, while UK Open champion Adrian Lewis and Masters champion James Wade also eye glory in the most prestigious event of all.
Last year’s beaten finalist Peter Wright looks to replicate that fairy-tale run, while five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld hopes to recapture his brilliant best form.
A host of other top ranked stars and emerging talents also look to make their mark, alongside a crop of international qualifiers who help to comprise the 72-man field.
A record 603 maximums were hit in last year’s tournament, alongside two magical nine-darters in the same session. Expect more of that astounding quality this time around.
A record number of fans will ascend up Muswell Hill for their festive fix of tungsten and are set to create another memorable atmosphere which makes this event the greatest Christmas party in town.
The tournament runs from December 18, 2020 to January 4, 2021 at the Alexandra Palace in London.
Watch live:
Format:
Preliminary Round: Best of seven legs
Round One: Best of five sets
Round Two: Best of seven sets
Last 16: Best of seven sets
Quarter-Finals: Bets of nine sets
Semi-Finals: Best of 11 sets
Final: Best of 13 sets
2015 William Hill World Darts Championship Schedule of Play
(All times GMT)
Thursday December 18
Preliminary & First Round
7.10pm John Part (30) v Keegan Brown
8.15pm Christian Perez v Cristo Reyes (P)
9.00pm Jelle Klaasen (29) v Christian Kist
10.00pm Michael van Gerwen (1) v Joe Cullen
11.00pm Wes Newton (13) v Christian Perez/Cristo Reyes
Friday December 19
Preliminary & First Round
7.10pm Andy Hamilton (12) v Dave Richardson
8.15pm Kim Viljanen v Sascha Stein (P)
9.00pm Peter Wright (5) v Gerwyn Price
10.00pm Phil Taylor (2) v Jyhan Artut
11.00pm Stuart Kellett (32) v Kim Viljanen/Sascha Stein
Saturday December 20
Preliminary & First Round
Afternoon Session
12.40pm Andy Smith (28) v Ronny Huybrechts
2.15pm Scott Mackenzie v Daryl Gurney (P)
3.00pm Justin Pipe (17) v Lawrence Ryder
4.00pm Robert Thornton (9) v Andrew Gilding
5.00pm Ronnie Baxter (24) v Scott Mackenzie/Daryl Gurney
Evening Session
7.10pm Steve Beaton (21) v Kyle Anderson
8.15pm Mark McGrath v Scott Kirchner (P)
9.00pm Terry Jenkins (16) v John Weber
10.00pm Simon Whitlock (7) v Darren Webster
11.00pm Gary Anderson (4) v Mark McGrath/Scott Kirchner
Sunday December 21
Preliminary & First Round
Afternoon Session
12.40pm Paul Nicholson (25) v Benito van de Pas
2.15pm Boris Koltsov v Haruki Muramatsu (P)
3.00pm Mark Webster (31) v Ron Meulenkamp
4.00pm Dean Winstanley (26) v Wayne Jones
5.00pm Kevin Painter (20) v Boris Koltsov/Haruki Muramatsu
Evening Session
7.10pm Kim Huybrechts (18) v Michael Mansell
8.15pm Jani Haavisto v John Michael (P)
9.00pm Dave Chisnall (8) v Ryan De Vreede
10.00pm James Wade (6) v Jamie Lewis
11.00pm Ian White (15) v Jani Haavisto/John Michael
Monday December 22
Preliminary & First Round
7.10pm Jamie Caven (19) v Jason Hogg
8.15pm Nolan Arendse v Alex Hon (P)
9.00pm Michael Smith (22) v Mensur Suljovic
10.00pm Raymond van Barneveld (14) v Rowby-John Rodriguez
11.00pm Brendan Dolan (11) v Nolan Arendse/Alex Hon
Tuesday December 23
Preliminary & First Round
7.10pm Vincent van der Voort (23) v John Henderson
8.15pm Jermaine Wattimena v Robert Marijanovic (P)
9.00pm Mervyn King (10) v Max Hopp
10.00pm Adrian Lewis (3) v David Pallett
11.00pm Stephen Bunting (27) v Jermaine Wattimena/Robert Marijanovic
Saturday December 27
Second Round
Afternoon Session
12.40pm Thornton/Gilding v Baxter/Mackenzie/Gurney
2.15pm Jenkins/Weber v Pipe/Ryder
3.45pm Wright/Price v A Smith/R Huybrechts
Evening Session
7.10pm Chisnall/De Vreede v Nicholson/van de Pas
8.40pm van Gerwen/Cullen v Kellett/Viljanen/Stein
10.15pm G Anderson/McGrath/Kirchner v Klaasen/Kist
Sunday December 28
Afternoon Session
12.40pm Hamilton/Richardson v Beaton/K Anderson
2.15pm Newton/Perez/Reyes v Painter/Koltsov/Muramatsu
3.45pm White/Haavisto/Michael v K Huybrechts/Mansell
Evening Session
7.10pm Whitlock/D Webster v Winstanley/Jones
8.40pm Taylor/Artut v M Webster/Meulenkamp
10.15pm A Lewis/Pallett v Part/Brown
Monday December 29
Afternoon Session
12.40pm Dolan/Arendse/Hon v M Smith/Suljovic
2.15pm King/Hopp v van der Voort /Henderson
3.45pm van Barneveld/Rodriguez v Caven/Hogg
Evening Session
7.10pm Wade/J Lewis v Bunting/Wattimena/Marijanovic
Third Round
8.40pm van Gerwen/Cullen/Kellett/Viljanen/Stein v Jenkins/Weber/Pipe/Ryder
10.15pm Chisnall/De Vreede/Nicholson/van de Pas v Thornton/Gilding/Baxter/MacKenzie/Gurney
Tuesday December 30
Afternoon Session
12.40pm Wright/Price/A Smith/R Huybrechts v Hamilton/Richardson/Beaton/K Anderson
2.15pm G Anderson/McGrath/Kirchner/Klaasen/Kist v Newton/Perez/Reyes/Painter/Koltsov/Muramatsu
3.45pm Whitlock/D Webster/Winstanley/Jones v King/Hopp/van der Voort/Henderson
Evening Session
7.10pm A Lewis/Pallett/Part/Brown v van Barneveld/Rodriguez/Caven/Hogg
8.40pm Taylor/Artut/M Webster/Meulenkamp v White/Haavisto/Michael/K Huybrechts/Mansell
10.15pm Wade/J Lewis/Bunting/Wattimena/Marijanovic v Dolan/Arendse/Hon/M Smith/ Suljovic
Thursday January 1
7.10pm
2x Quarter-Finals TBC
Friday January 2
7.10pm
2x Quarter-Finals TBC
Saturday January 3
7.10pm
2x Semi-Finals TBC
Sunday January 4
8.15pm
Final
Prize fund:
Winner: £250,000
Runner-up: £120,000
Semi-final losers: £60,000
Quarter-final losers: £35,000
Third round losers: £18,000
Second round losers: £12,000
First round losers: £8,000
Preliminary round losers: £3,500
Total: £1.25million
Nine-dart finish bonus: £10,000
