How much does the championship winner get, Littler and Van Gerwen’s net worth?
Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen can score their latest big wins when the pair contest the final of the PDC World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace on Friday (8pm GMT).
Dutchman Van Gerwen has racked up huge prize money over a career that has included three triumphs at the tournament, while relative newcomer Littler enjoys the highest profile in the sport and is the favorite to take the top prize.
The 17-year-old’s bank balance was boosted by reaching the final last year, in which he lost to Luke Humphries in front of a top UK audience of 4.8 million viewers – the Sky Sports channel’s highest-ever peak for a non-football sporting event .
Here’s a look at how much Littler and Van Gerwen stand to pocket from the final, as well as a look at their net worth and how much the players pocketed at each stage of the championship.
World Darts Final: How much does the winner get?
The winner of the final will be rewarded with £500,000, while the runner-up will receive £200,000, like Littler last year.
The first winner, Dennis Priestley, earned £16,000 for his victory in 1994 at Purfleet’s Circus Tavern, where the event was held until it moved to Alexandra Palace from 2008.
Prize money actually fell in 1995 and rose slightly in 1996 when Phil Taylor received £14,000 for winning the first of his 13 titles.
English sporting icon Taylor pocketed between £33,000 and £45,000 for his five consecutive victories, and after 2001 the winnings increased sharply: each champion won £50,000 for three years, £60,000 for one year and £100,000 between 2006 and 2008.
The top prize was £200,000 in 2010, rising to £400,000 in 2018 through four incremental increases. Since 2019 it has been £500,000, with Scotsman Peter Wright bagging this amount twice.
Darts World Cup 2024 Prize Fund
The total prize fund of £2.5 million doubles participants’ money between the first and second rounds and for each stage from the quarter-finals onwards. This is what it looks like.
Winner: £500,000
Second: £200,000
Semifinals: £100,000
Quarterfinals: £50,000
Fourth round: £35,000
Third round: £25,000
Second round: £15,000
First round: £7,500
Luke Littler Net Worth
After his hard-to-believe success as a teenager, the charismatic Littler has become one of the most marketable and recognizable names in British sport.
In addition to his significant prize money winnings, Littler has endorsements with car manufacturer Skoda, fashion group boohooMAN, Target Darts and Prestige Building Supplies, according to financial website Forbes, which named him one of the world’s most influential people under the age of 30.
The website has added that he is expected to earn more than £1.2 million gross in 2024, with his earnings including royalties and appearance fees.
“Littler’s earnings could skyrocket even further when he turns 18 in January.” Forbes said. “He is not yet allowed to legally endorse gambling or alcohol brands, which make up a large part of athletes’ portfolios.”
In the meantime, Financial Monthly quoted the Mirror as putting Littler’s net worth at £700,000 earlier this month, although this appears to be a conservative estimate and is certain to rise sharply again shortly.
Michael van Gerwen net worth
The flamboyant Van Gerwen is arguably the biggest name in the sport alongside Littler and has secured dozens of major titles since winning the World Masters as a teenager in 2006.
The 35-year-old has earned £1.5 million from his Championship final appearances alone and became the youngest ever winner in 2014 as a 24-year-old – a distinction Littler would claim if he beats him.
According to Van Gerwen’s prize money of more than £1.8 million in 2017, this is the record for a single season TalkSportIts customers include gaming case manufacturer POGA, decoration and DIY specialist Leyland Trade, kitchen suppliers Keuken Concurrent and Van Mossel Automotive.
Accordingly, the former world number 1 has a net worth of around £6.6 million Celebrity Net Worth.
