Gerwyn Price has called for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to overhaul its record-breaking prize money structure. The Iceman has voiced concerns about the payment scheme for this year’s World Darts Championship, despite the prize fund reaching a historic £5million milestone.
The Welsh star has argued that the payment framework for the prestigious tournament, held at the iconic Alexandra Palace in London, has actually deteriorated. Price claimed the World Championship crown in 2021 after defeating Gary Anderson to secure £500,000, whilst this year’s champion will collect a staggering £1million.
However, the 40-year-old insists a restructure is needed as competitors are fighting more fiercely on the oche for reduced earnings.
He said: “I said it when I got interviewed yesterday, you get less for winning seven games than you do last year. But you do, you know if you win seven games this year, you win £400,000, last year you would’ve got £500,000, you’ve got to win that extra game for another £600,000.
“I know it’s a bigger prize at the end, in a way, they’ve gone backwards but if you win another one, it’s a big prize at the end. I think they need to restructure the payouts and every other tournament as well.”
The tournament field at the World Championship has expanded to 128 competitors, up from 96, for the 2026 tournament, with Luke Littler defending his title. The 18-year-old darts prodigy has become the new world number one, ending Luke Humphries’ reign at the top of the PDC Rankings.
This year’s runner-up at the World Championship will pocket a cool £400,000, while each semi-finalist will take home £200,000, double the amount from the previous tournament.
Quarter-finalists are set to earn £100,000, a significant increase from the previous £50,000, while those knocked out in the last-16 will receive £60,000. Players defeated before the last 32, 64 and 128 will receive £35,000, £25,000 and £15,000, respectively.
In March, it was announced that the prize money for the World Championships, which begin next month, as well as other tournaments across the corporation’s calendar, would rise from £7m to a staggering £25m.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter believes the increase demonstrates their commitment to enhancing the earning potential for players within their system.
He stated: “The £1million prize for the World Champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world and the historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport.
“However, the increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system.
“Expanding the player fields for the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts will provide more opportunities than ever before for players around the world to feature in televised PDC events.
“The incredible growth of the PDC in recent years has seen darts elevated to levels never seen before both in terms of playing opportunities and global interest and this is a huge moment for all players with the ambition to make it to the very pinnacle of the sport.”
