The Winmau World Masters, a unique event in the darts calendar, will return in 2025, sparking excitement and becoming a significant topic of discussion. This will be the first time the event is conducted under the PDC umbrella, offering a one-of-a-kind experience that rekindles the joy, excitement, and spirit it has evoked for decades. This season, the PDC Masters got a big update called the Winmau World Masters, and they are bringing back the classic format where players must win three legs per set. The PDC World Masters generally is a non-ranking event for the top 24 players, but it is turned into a ranking event that includes 128 PDC tour card holders, players from secondary and affiliate tours, and young talents from the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC). In 2024, Stephen Bunting won the PDC Masters, but this time, all eyes were on the new PDC World Champion, Luke Littler, who will compete in this tournament for the first time, adding an extra layer of competitiveness to the event.
Before heading into more information on the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters, let’s journey back to its history. The PDC World Masters referred to for sponsorship reasons as the Winmau World Masters and previously simply known as The Masters, is an esteemed tournament organized by the Professional Darts Corporation. This prestigious event debuted in 2013 and has been held at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England, since 2015. Beginning with the 2025 edition, the tournament will feature the top 24 players according to the PDC Order of Merit, along with eight qualifiers from a preliminary round, culminating in 32 participants. The inaugural edition of The Masters, conducted in 2013, was claimed by Phil Taylor, who triumphed over Adrian Lewis with a score of 10-1 in the final match.
In the subsequent year, James Wade emerged victorious by defeating Mervyn King 11-10 in the final of 2014. The tournament occurred at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, in early November 2013 and 2014. However, in early February 2015, the event was relocated to the newly established Arena MK, renamed Marshall Arena in 2019. In 2024, the PDC announced the rebranding of the Masters to the Winmau World Masters for its 2025 edition, following the model of the World Masters tournament previously organized by the British Dart Organization and subsequently by the World Darts Federation, which Winmau also sponsored.
The 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters is scheduled from January 29 to February 2, 2025, at Arena MK in Milton Keynes. The reigning champion is Stephen Bunting, who secured his inaugural PDC televised title by triumphing over Michael van Gerwen with a score of 11–7 in the 2024 final. Let’s delve into this article for more details about the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters. If you are a sports enthusiast and love to explore every sport, you can check out our website and be updated.
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2025 PDC Winmau World Masters Schedule
Wednesday, January 29, 2025:
Thursday, January 30, 2025:
Friday, January 31, 2025:
Saturday, February 1, 2025:
- Afternoon Session:
- Evening Session:
Sunday, February 2, 2025:
- Afternoon Session:
- Evening Session:
Draw 2025 Winmau World Masters
(1) Luke Humphries vs. Joe Cullen
(16) Josh Rock vs. Qualifier 6
(8) Damon Heta vs. Ross Smith
(9) Gerwyn Price vs. Qualifier 4
(4) Rob Cross vs. Qualifier 8
(13) Danny Noppert vs. Michael Smith
(5) Stephen Bunting vs. Qualifier 5
(12) Peter Wright vs. Qualifier 1
(2) Luke Littler vs. Qualifier 3
(15) James Wade vs. Mike De Decker
(7) Jonny Clayton vs. Martin Schindler
(10) Chris Dobey vs. Ryan Searle
(3) Michael van Gerwen vs. Qualifier 2
(14) Gary Anderson vs. Dimitri Van den Bergh
(6) Dave Chisnall vs. Qualifier 7
(11) Nathan Aspinall vs. Andrew Gilding
2025 PDC Winmau World Masters Format
| Round |
Best of (sets) |
First to (sets) |
| Preliminary |
3 |
2 |
| First |
5 |
3 |
| Second |
7 |
4 |
| Quarter-finals |
7 |
4 |
| Semi-finals |
9 |
5 |
| Final |
11 |
6 |
2025 PDC World Masters: Prize Money
The prize money breakdown for the 2025 PDC World Masters is mentioned below.
- Winner – £100,000
- Runner-up – £50,000
- Semi-finals – £30,000
- Quarter-finals – £17,500
- Round 2 (last 16) – £10,000
- Round 1 (last 32) – £5,000
- Preliminary round last 16 losers – £2,500
- Preliminary round last 32 losers – £1,000
- Preliminary round last 64 losers – £750
Where to watch the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters?
Fans in the United Kingdom can watch the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters on ITV4 and ITVX.
In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, you can watch the 2025 PDC World Masters through DAZN.
Watch the 2025 Winmau World Masters tournament on Viaplay in the Netherlands, Iceland, and Scandinavia.
It will be available on FanDuel in the USA and Fox in Australia.
Darts fans in New Zealand can watch the 2025 Winmau World Masters on Sky Sports, VTM in Belgium, Nova in the Czech Republic & Slovakia, and Prago Sport and Sport 1 in Hungary.
Who is Playing in the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters?
Here are some players in action this year at the 2025 PDC Winmau World Masters.
Luke Humphries
The current world number one, Luke Humphries, enters this year’s World Masters to regain his competitive form. The reigning 2024 world champions have experienced a challenging commencement to the 2025 season, having suffered an unexpected loss to Jermaine Wattimena during the Dutch Darts Masters last weekend and an earlier semi-final defeat to Bunting in Bahrain. Furthermore, Peter Wright decisively defeated him in the Round of 16 at the World Championships a month prior. In the opening round, Humphries is set to compete against Joe Cullen, the champion of the 2022 Masters, who has demonstrated his ability to excel in this format. However, the question remains: can he replicate the extraordinary performance of three years ago to challenge the top seed in the upcoming battle?
Luke Littler
Luke Littler, the reigning world champion, is stepping up to his first World Master as the exciting second seed. Over the past year, this teenage sensation has genuinely made waves in the darts world, most recently becoming the youngest world champion in history just this month. He has undeniably showcased his talent with a thrilling 7-3 victory over Michael Van Gerwen in the world championship final. Although he faced a tough match against Bunting in last weekend’s Darts Masters, this determined 18-year-old is more than ready to chase another significant title and add it to his impressive collection. Kicking off his campaign against a qualifier, he is set to make a strong statement in his debut at this event.
Stephen Bunting
Stephen Bunting, the defending champion, is entering the World Masters with incredible momentum. Two weeks ago, he triumphed at the Darts Masters in Bahrain and made it to the final of the Dutch Darts Masters last weekend, where he had a tough battle against Rob Cross. However, it was great to see him bounce back and get one over Littler, avenging his semi-final loss to the talented teenager. With such positive energy, Bunting has become one of the clear favorites to lift the title again this year. He will take on a qualifier in the first round to keep his winning streak alive.
Rob Cross
Following his recent triumph at the Dutch Darts Masters, Rob Cross approaches the World Masters with confidence. This resurgence is particularly noteworthy in light of his challenging defeat at the World Championships. The 2018 World Champion demonstrated his exceptional skill last weekend by overcoming Bunting in the final match, securing his inaugural title. In the first round, Cross is set to compete against a qualifier, aiming to sustain the strong momentum he has initiated as he enters 2025. Should Rob Cross maintain the same form showcased last weekend, he may pose a significant threat to his competitors.
Michal Van Gerwen
Three-time world champion Michal Van Gerwen is back at the World Masters, proudly holding the record for the most titles in the original format, with five wins out of 12 appearances. Although he faced a tough loss to Littler in the World Championship final earlier this month, Van Gerwen’s performance in London showcased some of his best play in recent years. Now 35, this talented Dutchman is gearing up to pursue his sixth title against a qualifier. When he’s firing on all cylinders, Van Gerwen always has a great chance, and it wouldn’t shock anyone to see him add even more silverware to his impressive collection.
