Left arrow

World Darts Championship 2024/25 Prize Fund | How much prize money is on offer at Ally Pally?

Right arrow

Live Darts on Monday: World Darts Championship Day Two Preview and Order of Play

Live Darts on Sunday: World Darts Championship 2024/25 Day One Preview and Order of Play

Jamie Shaw in World Darts Championship 15 Dec 2024

Luke Humphries pictured with the trophy (Photo by PDC)

The waiting is over as the 2024/25 World Darts Championship commences on Sunday, with Luke Humphries launching his title defence at Alexandra Palace.

The greatest show on planet darts gets under way in the capital for the first of 17 days of pulsating action, with three First Round ties and the opening Second Round contest in the offing.

As per tradition, the defending champion will star on the opening night, with this year’s honour falling to world number one Humphries.

Humphries claimed his crowning glory on January 3rd with a 7-4 victory over teenage sensation Luke Littler in an historic final watched by a record TV audience.

Humphries has gone on to enjoy a memorable year as World Champion, adding the World Matchplay, World Cup of Darts and a second successive Players Championship Finals title to his collection of major silverware.

Only Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson have ever retained the sport’s most prestigious trophy, and Humphries faces a tough task if he is to join that elite group.

Situated in the same half of the draw as Littler, the pair look to be on a collision course for a potential semi-final showdown, but Humphries is unlikely to take an of his prior opponents lightly, having battled back from the brink on multiple occasions en route to last year’s title.

The world number one will start his campaign against either France’s Thibault Tricole or Australia’s Joe Comito – who go head-to-head in the opening match of the night.

Tricole, runner-up in the 2022 WDF World Championship and a winner of two PDC Challenge Tour titles, has enjoyed a solid debut season as a Tour Card holder.

The French trailblazer notably defeated Gerwyn Price in the opening round of last month’s Players Championship Finals and has reached the semi-finals of a ProTour event this year.

He starts out as heavy favourite to overcome Comito – who secured his Ally Pally debut by winning three DPA titles this season, following up his appearance in August’s Australian Darts Masters.

Meanwhile, four-time PDC title winner Kim Huybrechts takes on Irish ace Keane Barry for the right to face Gerwyn Price in Round Two.

Huybrechts has been an ever-present at Ally Pally since reaching the quarter-finals on his debut in 2011/12 – which remains his best run to date.

The former Players Championship Finals and World Cup of Darts runner-up enjoyed a terrific run to the final of the Czech Darts Open in October, eventually losing out to Humphries, and has battled back from a horror injury earlier in the year which threatened to curtail his career.

The Belgian will be determined to atone for last year’s disappointing straight sets defeat to Richard Veenstra in Round Two which saw him average just 84 and fail to win a leg.

Barry is making his sixth consecutive World Championship appearance as he bids to reach the Second Round for the third time in four years.

The former UK Open semi-finalist finished third on the 2024 Development Tour Order of Merit to secure his place in the event, having claimed three Development Tour titles this term.

European Championship finalist Jermaine Wattimena faces Swiss debutant Stefan Bellmont for the right to face 16th seed James Wade in the Last 64.

Wattimena comes into this year’s World Championship in undoubtedly the best form of his career to date, having reached his first major final in Dortmund in October, before reaching the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam.

The rapid Dutchman is making his 11th consecutive Ally Pally appearance, having twice reached the Third Round, and will be confident of breaking new ground as he bids to end the season back among the world’s top 32.

Bellmont has already made history by becoming the first Swiss player to qualify for the PDC World Championship after winning the West Europe Qualifier last month.

The three-time World Cup of Darts participant has two Challenge Tour titles to his name since 2022 and has twice reached the quarter-finals of Players Championship events this year as a non Tour Card holder.

The action gets under way from 7pm GMT, with First Round and Second Round matches to be contested over the best five sets, best of five legs per set.

The tie break rule does not apply to First Round matches, meaning the fifth leg of a deciding set would be sudden death, while the final set in matches from Round Two onwards must be won by two clear legs, unless the score reaches 5-5, in which case a sudden-death leg will be played.

WATCH THE WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP STREAMED LIVE HERE

18+ | Geo Restrictions may apply | Please Gamble Responsibly

World Darts Championship 2024/25 Day One Schedule

Sunday December 15

7pm-11pm
Thibault Tricole v Joe Comito (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Stefan Bellmont (R1)
Kim Huybrechts v Keane Barry (R1)
Luke Humphries v Tricole/Comito (R2)

Best Darts Free Bets

Betfred Sign-up Offer | Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets

Welcome Bonus

Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets

In-Play Betting
Mobile App
Variety Of Sports

Excellent Review

10.0 Our Score

Claim Here

New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Acca Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs

BOYLE Sports Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets

Welcome Bonus

Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets

In-Play Betting
Live Streaming
Mobile App
Variety Of Sports

Excellent Review

10.0 Our Score

Live Darts on Sunday: World Darts Championship 2024/25 Day One Preview and Order of Play

World Darts Championship 2024/25 Day One Schedule

Best Darts Free Bets

Bookmaker Offers

Latest News

Live Darts on Tuesday | World Matchplay 2026 Day Four Preview and Order of Play

World Matchplay 2026 Day Four Betting Tips and Accumulator Predictions

Cameron Menzies stuns Luke Humphries at the World Matchplay as Price survives Schindler scare

Betfred World Matchplay 2026 | Draw, Live Scores, Results & Schedule

World Matchplay Darts 2026 live stream | How to watch all matches online

Gary Anderson enjoys blistering start at the World Matchplay as Van Gerwen, Wade and Van Veen also advance

Betsuna World Cup Sign-Up Offer | Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets

Betfred World Matchplay 2026 Draw | Littler to launch title defence against Springer