THE 2015 Betway Premier League Darts will kick off at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Thursday February 5, with next year’s four-month tour of the UK & Ireland’s biggest arenas set to feature ten superstars of the sport.

The 11th season of Premier League Darts will see reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld, current World Champion Michael van Gerwen and 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor headlining ten players competing for £550,000 in prize money.

Following the runaway success of the tournament’s inaugural visit to the First Direct Arena in March, when a PDC record 11,000 fans flocked to Leeds, the 2015 tournament will kick off at the venue next February.

The roadshow event – featuring the top four players in the PDC Order of Merit following the World Championship final on January 4 and six Wildcard selections – then visits the UK and Ireland’s largest arenas over the following 15 weeks as the players battle for the prestigious title.

Week Two will see the tournament head from its newest arena in Leeds to the longest-serving venue, with The BIC in Bournemouth celebrating its tenth visit of Premier League Darts to the south coast.

The Sky Sports-televised tournament then visits the Echo Arena in Liverpool and Belfast’s Odyssey Arena during February before kicking off the four league nights in March at the Westpoint Arena in Exeter.

The action continues at Nottingham’s Capital FM Arena, The SSE Hydro in Glasgow and The 3Arena in Dublin before “Judgement Night” at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester sees the bottom two players relegated on April 2.

The remaining eight players will then face each other once more across league nights at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, the GE Oil & Gas Arena in Aberdeen, Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, The NIA in Birmingham, the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle and at The Brighton Centre before the top four players progress to compete in the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on May 21.

“Our visit to the First Direct Arena in March was a memorable occasion for all the players and also a historic night in the history of the PDC, and it seems fitting that we’ll begin next year’s Betway Premier League at such a wonderful venue,” said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

“We had an amazing response from darts fans across the north who travelled to Leeds for what was a special night, and they were treated to some brilliant darts.

“It would be tremendous if we can open the 2015 Premier League season, as we celebrate a decade of the tournament, by welcoming another record crowd to the First Direct Arena.

“Although the Betway Premier League Darts visits the UK and Ireland’s biggest arenas during the four-month tour, the players always comment on the great atmosphere created by fans in Bournemouth and it will be a special occasion to celebrate ten years at what is now our longest-standing Premier League venue.

“Those two league nights will set the platform for what should be a memorable and thrilling season, and we’re already seeing great competition between players as they look to either break into the world’s top four or stake their claim for a Wildcard selection.

“With a further six major televised tournaments to go before we confirm the Betway Premier League Darts field, there’s still the chance for a new face to break through and earn their place in what is an ever-expanding tournament.

“The Premier League Darts concept has come a long way in the past decade since our first season back in 2005, but fans continue to be guaranteed fantastic darts from the best players on the planet!”

Tickets for the 2015 Betway Premier League Darts will go on Priority Sale on Monday September 29 to LIVEPDC.TV Annual Subscribers.

To be eligible to purchase tickets in the Priority Sales period, fans must have a LIVEPDC.TV Annual Subscription at midnight on Wednesday September 24.

Tickets for the Betway Premier League Darts will then go on General Sale on Monday October 6.

Details of how to purchase tickets in the Priority Sales period and in the General Sale period will be confirmed in due course at www.pdc.tv/tickets

2015 Betway Premier League Darts Dates

Night One – Feb 5: First Direct Arena, Leeds
Night Two – Feb 12: BIC, Bournemouth
Night Three – Feb 19: Echo Arena, Liverpool
Night Four – Feb 26: Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Night Five – Mar 5: Westpoint Arena, Exeter
Night Six – Mar 12: Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Night Seven – Mar 19: The Hydro, Glasgow
Night Eight – Mar 26: 3Arena, Dublin
Judgment Night – Apr 2: Phones 4u Arena, Manchester
Night Ten – Apr 9: Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Night 11 – Apr 16: GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen
Night 12 – Apr 23: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Night 13 – Apr 30: The NIA, Birmingham
Night 14 – May 7: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Night 15 – May 14: The Brighton Centre
Play-Offs – May 21: The O2, London