The nights are drawing in and the Christmas decorations are up -- that only means one thing: the World Darts Championship is back.
This year's tournament is the biggest yet, with an expanded 128-player field competing for a share of the £5 million prize fund which contains an eye-popping £1 million cheque for the winner.
Seeded players need to play an extra match to reach the final this year -- they are joining from the first round -- and there are five women set to stand behind the oche at Alexandra Palace for the first time.
Fresh from becoming the new world No. 1, defending champion Luke Littler heads to Ally Pally as the bookies' favourite, but Luke Humphries has proclaimed that he will secure his second title.
- Best fancy dress at this year's World Darts Championship
- Luke Littler darts titles, prize money, career history, more
- How players got nicknames and walk-on songs
- Who is Beau Greaves? Darts titles, prize money, career history
Today's matches
Matt Campbell 1-3 Adam Sevada
Raymond van Barneveld 0-3 Stefan Bellmont
(7) James Wade 3-0 Ryusei Azemoto
(13) Martin Schindler 3-1 Stephen Burton
World Darts Championship schedule, scores, results
Round One (best of 5 sets)
Thursday Dec. 11
Kim Huybrechts 1-3 Arno Merk
(28) Michael Smith 3-0 Lisa Ashton
(1) Luke Littler 3-0 Darius Labanauskas
Madars Razma 3-1 Jamai van den Herik
Luke Littler describes how it felt in his first game of the World Darts Championships in which he beat Darius Labanauskas 3-0.
Friday Dec. 12
Niels Zonneveld 3 - 0 Haupai Puha
Ian White 3-2 Mervyn King
(20) Ryan Searle 3-0 Chris Landman
(17) Rob Cross 3-0 Cor Dekker
Friday Dec. 12
(12) Ross Smith 2-3 Andreas Harrysson
Ricky Evans 3-0 Man Lok Leung
(10) Gian van Veen 3-1 Cristo Reyes
(16) Damon Heta 3-1 Steve Lennon
Saturday Dec. 13
Mario Vandenbogaerde 0-3 David Davies
Andrew Gilding 3-1 Cam Crabtree
(25) Luke Woodhouse 3-1 Boris Krcmar
(14) Gary Anderson 3-2 Adam Hunt
Saturday Dec. 13
Jeffrey de Graaf 1-3 Paul Lim
(31) Wessel Nijman 3-0 Karel Sedlacek
(2) Luke Humphries 3-1 Ted Evetts
Gabriel Clemens 3-0 Alex Spellman
Sunday Dec. 14
(27) Ritchie Edhouse 0-3 Jonny Tata
Dom Taylor 3-0 Oskar Lukasiak
Richard Veenstra 2-3 Nitin Kumar
(32) Joe Cullen 3-0 Bradley Brooks
Nitin Kumar speaks after becoming the first Indian player to win at the Darts World Championship.
Sunday Dec. 14
Monday Dec. 15
Monday Dec. 15
Tuesday Dec. 16
Tuesday Dec. 16
Wednesday Dec. 17
Thursday Dec. 18 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Callan Rydz vs. Patrik Kovacs
Thibault Tricole vs. Motomu Sakai
(24) Ryan Joyce vs. Owen Bates
(18) Mike De Decker vs. David Munyua
Thursday Dec. 18 from 7 p.m. GMT
(19) Jermaine Wattimena vs. Dominik Gruellich
(21) Dave Chisnall vs. Fallon Sherrock
(3) Michael van Gerwen vs. Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Alexis Toylo
Friday Dec. 19 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Kevin Doets vs. Matthew Dennant
Ryan Meikle vs. Jesus Salate
Mickey Mansell vs. Leonard Gates
(11) Josh Rock vs. Gemma Hayter
Friday Dec. 19 from 7 p.m. GMT
William O'Connor vs. Krzysztof Kciuk
(22) Daryl Gurney vs. Beau Greaves
(15) Nathan Aspinall vs. Lourence Ilagan
Keane Barry vs. Tim Pusey
Round Two (best of 5 sets)
Saturday Dec. 20
Afternoon session from 12.30 p.m. GMT & Evening session from 7 p.m. GMT
(Saturday's schedule still TBC)
Dave Chisnall/Fallon Sherrock vs. Ricardo Pietreczko
Andreas Harrysson vs. Thibault Tricole/Motomu Sakai
Michael Smith vs. Niels Zonneveld
Jonny Clayton vs. Dom Taylor
Ryan Searle vs. Brendan Dolan
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. James Hurrell
Stephen Bunting vs. Nitin Kumar
Chris Dobey vs. Andrew Gilding
Sunday Dec. 21
Afternoon session from 12.30 p.m. GMT & Evening session from 7 p.m. GMT
(Sunday's schedule still TBC)
Ryan Joyce/Owen Bates vs. Krzysztof Ratajski/Alexis Toylo
Martin Schindler vs. Keane Barry/Tim Pusey
Gerwyn Price vs. Wesley Plaisier
Luke Woodhouse vs. Max Hopp
Rob Cross vs. Ian White
Damon Heta vs. Stefan Bellmont
Joe Cullen vs. Mensur Suljovic
Luke Littler vs. David Davies
Monday Dec. 22
Afternoon session from 12.30 p.m. GMT & Evening session from 7 p.m. GMT
(Monday's schedule still TBC)
Darren Beveridge vs. Madars Razma
Gian van Veen vs. Alan Soutar
Charlie Manby vs. Adam Sevada
James Wade vs. Ricky Evans
Nathan Aspinall/Lourence Ilagan vs. Mickey Mansell/Leonard Gates
Mike De Decker/David Munyua vs. Kevin Doets/Matthew Dennant
Wessel Nijman vs. Gabriel Clemens
Luke Humphries vs. Paul Lim
Tuesday Dec. 23 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Afternoon session from 12.30 p.m. GMT & Evening session from 7 p.m. GMT
(Tuesday's schedule still TBC)
Josh Rock/Gemma Hayter vs. Joe Comito
Daryl Gurney/Beau Greaves vs. Callan Rydz/Patrik Kovacs
Jonny Tata vs. Ryan Meikle/Jesus Salate
Danny Noppert vs. Justin Hood
Jermaine Wattimena/Dominik Gruellich vs. Scott Williams
Gary Anderson vs. Connor Scutt
Peter Wright vs.Arno Merk
Michael van Gerwen/Mitsuhiko Tatsunami vs. William O'Connor/Krzysztof Kciuk
Round Three (best of 7 sets)
Saturday Dec. 27 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Saturday Dec. 27 from 7 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Sunday Dec. 28 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Sunday Dec. 28 from 7 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Monday Dec. 29 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Monday Dec. 29 from 7 p.m. GMT
One match
Round Four (best of 7 sets)
Monday Dec. 29 from 7 p.m. GMT
Two matches
Tuesday Dec. 30 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Tuesday Dec. 30 from 7 p.m. GMT
Three matches
Quarterfinals (best of 9 sets)
Thursday Jan. 1 from 12.30 p.m. GMT
Two matches
Thursday Jan. 1 from 7 p.m. GMT
Two matches
Semifinals (best of 11 sets)
Friday Jan. 2 from 7. 30 p.m. GMT
Two matches
Final (best of 13 sets)
Saturday Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. GMT
One match
What is the prize money?
The 128-player field is competing for a share of the £5 million total prize fund, with the winner taking home a staggering £1 million -- double the amount won by Littler last year.
Round-by-round breakdown:
Winner: £1,000,000
Runner-up: £400,000
Semifinalists: £200,000
Quarterfinalists: £100,000
Fourth round: £60,000
Third round: £35,000
Second round: £25,000
First round: £15,000
Total: £5,000,000
Bonus prize money available:
Nine-darter: £60,000
- World Darts Championship prize money: All-time stats
How to watch?
The World Darts Championship will be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports in the UK.
What is the format?
Matches at the World Darts Championship are decided by legs and sets. As with all PDC tournaments, the games are played in the 501 format, where players look to reduce their score from 501 to zero as efficiently as possible, finishing with a double.
The highest-score available in a single visit is 180 (three darts in the triple 20), while the fastest way to finish a game is with a nine-dart leg. Each successful finish counts as one leg, and the first player to win three legs secures a set.
The number of sets required to win varies by round. In the first and second rounds, matches are played in a best-of-five sets format. In the third round and the Round of 16, matches are played to the best of seven sets.
In the quarterfinals, the winner is determined in a best-of-nine-sets format, while the semifinals are played in a best-of-11-sets match. The final follows a best-of-13-sets format, where the first player to win seven sets is crowned the world champion. -- Keith Jenkins
Has there been a nine-darter?
Not yet, but if this year's event is anything like the last one, we may not have to wait long to see nine perfect darts.
Christian Kist threw one in the opening set of his first-round match 12 months ago. In doing so, the Dutchman picked up a £60,000 bonus.
His feat was matched by Damon Heta in the third round. The nine-darters weren't enough to take either player through, though, with Kist losing to Madars Razma and Heta succumbing to Luke Woodhouse.
As if going into the darts history books wasn't enough, tournament sponsors Paddy Power have confirmed that they are repeating last year's initiative of giving £60,000 each to any player who hits a nine-darter and an additional £60,000 to both a randomly-selected member of the crowd and Prostate Cancer UK.
Who are the previous winners?
Luke Littler won the world championship last year, beating three-time champion Michael van Gerwen (2014, 2017, 2019) to do so.
Littler has a long road ahead to even get close to the 16 managed by the legendary Phil Taylor before his retirement from PDC events in 2018.
John Part (2003, 2008), Adrian Lewis (2011, 2012), Gary Anderson (2015, 2016) and Peter Wright (2020, 2022) have won two world championships each.
Dennis Priestley (1994), Raymond van Barneveld (2007), Rob Cross (2018), Gerwyn Price (2021), Michael Smith (2023) and Luke Humphries (2024) have each won one title.
News from the World Darts Championship
Fan to throw nine darts at World Darts Championship for £180,000 prize. Read
World Darts Championship draw: Littler, Humphries learn Round 1 opponents. Read
Will World Darts Championship leave Ally Pally? PDC CEO says decision soon. Read
World Darts Championship to stay at Alexandra Palace until 2031. Read
Luke Humphries unfazed by £1 million prize: 'won't change my life'. Read
Luke Humphries ready for 'war' with Luke Littler. Read
Wasp struck by dart after causing havoc at world championship. Read
Darts player brings wasp spray to combat Ally Pally pest. Read
Gerwyn Price joins Luke Humphries in vowing to win world championship. Read
Van Gerwen: Littler lying if he says he wants to face me at world championship. Read
The Luke Littler effect: How 'The Nuke' changed darts like Tiger Woods changed golf
How much has Luke Littler changed darts? ESPN speaks to Littler and his rivals Luke Humphies and Michael van Gerwen to find out. Read
Beau Greaves takes centre stage as historic new era for women begins
Darts' next sensation, Beau Greaves, leads a five-woman field looking to make history at the world championship. Read
Alexandra Palace's wild history: Fire, wartime prison... and the World Darts Championship
From a ruinous fire and wartime requisition to ski jumps and Madonna, Alexandra Palace has been through a lot on its way to becoming the home of darts. Read
The best walk-on songs ranked... but Luke Littler only at No. 9
With the World Darts Championship under way, we rank the walk-on songs picked by Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, more. Read
How the Ally Pally wasp caused a buzz at the World Darts Championship
For all the obstacles players face at Alexandra Palace, it's the Ally Pally wasp that has once again stolen the spotlight at this year's World Darts Championship. Read
ESPN's darts page has all the latest breaking news, features and reaction to all the big moments during this year's PDC World Darts Championship.