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Tournament centre New Zealand Darts Masters 2025: schedule, draw, TV guide and prize‑money breakdown

Updated 12 August 2025

The World Series of Darts returns to New Zealand on 15–16 August 2025. After a year in Hamilton the tournament moves north to the Spark Arena in Auckland, which replaces the Globox Arena as host. Sixteen players – eight Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) stars and eight Oceania qualifiers – will battle for the title and a record prize fund of £100,000. This guide brings together everything you need to know about the event: the history of darts in New Zealand, who is playing this year, how to follow the action on television and online, and how the prize money is distributed. Where possible we have confirmed details using official sources and contemporaneous reports.

If you are wondering what channel is darts on today?, this guide will direct you to the live coverage.

Background: darts in New Zealand

Darts first landed in New Zealand on a PDC stage in 2015. From 2015 to 2018 the Auckland Darts Masters was held annually at the Trusts Arena. In 2019 the event was rebranded as the New Zealand Darts Masters and moved to Hamilton:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. The 2024 edition in Hamilton saw Luke Humphries beat Damon Heta 8–2 to claim the title:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. This year’s move to the Spark Arena is the first time the World Series has visited Auckland:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.

Field and format for 2025

The 2025 New Zealand Darts Masters features a 16‑player field. World champion Luke Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler lead the PDC representatives:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. They are joined by Gerwyn Price, Damon Heta, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, Mike De Decker and Chris Dobey:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}. The Oceania contingent includes New Zealanders Haupai Puha, Jonny Tata, Mark Cleaver, John Hurring, Ben Robb and Dean Reyland, along with Australia’s Simon Whitlock and Gordon Mathers. The draw will be conducted on the eve of the event, matching each PDC seed against a local qualifier.

As with other World Series tournaments the format is leg‑based. The first round and quarter‑finals are played over the best of eleven legs (first to six). The semi‑finals extend to best of 13 legs (first to seven), and the final is best of 15 legs (first to eight). Because the World Series is invitational, no ranking points are awarded.

How to watch the New Zealand Darts Masters

The tournament will be streamed live on PDCTV for viewers outside regions with exclusive rights. UK coverage is split: the afternoon sessions (08:00–12:30 BST) are live on PDCTV and ITV’s streaming service ITVX, while the linear channel ITV4 carries delayed highlights from 19:00 on Friday and 17:00 on Saturday:contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}. In Australia matches are shown live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports. New Zealand fans can watch on Sky Sport NZ. North American viewers have access through FanDuel TV or selected streaming bundles. Coverage is also available via DAZN in Germany/Austria/Switzerland and Viaplay in the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

The tournament is scheduled over two evenings in Auckland. On Friday 15 August the first round starts at 19:00 local time. On Saturday 16 August the quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and final are played consecutively from 19:00 local time. With New Zealand twelve hours ahead of British Summer Time, these sessions correspond to 08:00 BST the following morning. Always check local listings and allow for minor overruns: darts matches can vary in length. ITV4’s delayed broadcasts begin at 19:00 BST on Friday and 17:00 BST on Saturday.

Prize‑money breakdown

World Series events carry separate prize funds that do not count towards the PDC Order of Merit. In 2024 the New Zealand Masters had a total purse of £60,000 with £20,000 to the winner:contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}. For 2025 the PDC has increased the prize pool to £100,000. The distribution for each international World Series event is as follows;

Every participant is guaranteed at least £1,750 in prize money. The winner’s cheque of £30,000 is significant but – as with all World Series events – it does not contribute to world ranking order.

Recap: 2024 results

Last year’s New Zealand Darts Masters was held at the Globox Arena in Hamilton. Luke Humphries took the trophy with an 8–2 victory over Australia’s Damon Heta in the final:contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}. On his way to the title the Berkshire thrower defeated Michael Smith in the quarter‑finals and edged Luke Littler in a semi‑final comeback from 2–6 down. Heta beat defending champion Rob Cross and Peter Wright en route to the final. The event underlined the strength of Oceania darts: local qualifier Haupai Puha pushed Cross to an eleventh‑leg decider in the opening round.

Looking ahead

The New Zealand Masters is the penultimate stop on the 2025 World Series tour before the season‑ending Finals in Amsterdam. With Luke Humphries, Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price all in exceptional form, and local heroes like Haupai Puha and Ben Robb eager to impress, two memorable nights of darts await. Check back here during the tournament for daily updates and results.

A Brief History of Darts on Television

Darts enjoyed a rapid rise on British television during the 1970s and early 1980s. ITV broadcast the News of the World Championship nationally in 1972, making it the first darts tournament to reach homes across the UK. The following year The Indoor League was shown on ITV and is widely regarded as the birthplace of television darts. The sport’s popularity continued to grow: the 1974 World Masters was televised by ITV, and the BBC covered darts for the first time at the British Open in the same year.

However, by the late 1980s interest had waned. In 1988 the BBC announced it would end regular darts coverage apart from the World Championship, and ITV signalled it would cease broadcasts after the upcoming World Masters. This lull lasted only a few years. In 1991 Sky Sports began showing the World Masters, and on Boxing Day 1993 it aired the first PDC World Championship after the sport split into two professional organisations. Sky Sports’ involvement proved transformative: it offered live coverage, high production values and helped professionalise the sport. Sky also introduced the World Matchplay in 1994 and the Premier League in 2005, events that remain flagship tournaments today.

Terrestrial television returned to darts in the early 2000s. The BBC resumed coverage of the World Masters in 2001 and ITV began showing selected events, including the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals. Since then the BBC has relinquished most rights, but ITV4 has become a reliable home for the UK Open, European Championship and World Series of Darts events. In recent years streaming platforms have entered the fray: PDCTV launched in 2008 and provides live coverage of nearly every PDC tournament to subscribers worldwide. DAZN, Viaplay and other regional streaming services have since acquired rights for various countries. Today fans have more viewing options than ever.

Major Darts Tournaments Explained

Understanding the structure of different tournaments can help viewers appreciate what is at stake and why certain events attract bigger audiences. Here is an overview of the principal PDC events and where to watch them.

PDC World Championship

The World Championship is the crown jewel of darts. Held annually at London’s Alexandra Palace over the Christmas period, it features 96 players and offers a prize fund of £2.5 million. As the 2025 final showed, the tournament can produce incredible storylines; Luke Littler’s victory at age 17 in January 2025 made history. Sky Sports holds exclusive UK television rights, while PDCTV provides worldwide streaming and DAZN carries the event in several European territories. The competition uses a sets format in which players must win three legs to take a set, and the number of sets increases in later rounds.

World Matchplay

Played each July in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, the World Matchplay is a leg‑play tournament with longer formats that reward heavy scoring and stamina. Luke Humphries won the 2024 edition and Luke Littler captured the 2025 title with a flawless leg in the final. Matches are broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and on PDCTV internationally.

Premier League Darts

The Premier League is a travelling roadshow that runs from February to May. Eight players compete in a series of mini‑tournaments across different cities, earning points toward a league table. The top four qualify for finals night. Premier League matches are shown live on Sky Sports in Britain and Ireland and are available through PDCTV in other territories.

World Series of Darts

The World Series of Darts comprises invitational events staged around the world in regions such as Bahrain, Poland, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The aim is to showcase darts to new audiences and give local qualifiers a chance to play the sport’s biggest names. World Series events do not carry ranking points; however, the finals event in Amsterdam crowns a World Series champion and features all winners from the season. Broadcasting varies by territory, with ITV and PDCTV covering most events in the UK and DAZN/Viaplay carrying coverage elsewhere.

UK Open and Players Championship

The UK Open, sometimes called “the FA Cup of darts,” is an open draw event held at Butlin’s Minehead and is televised by ITV. Amateur qualifiers face off with professionals, creating unpredictable matches. The Players Championship is a series of 30 floor tournaments contested behind closed doors; the season‑ending finals are broadcast on ITV. Results from Players Championship events count toward the Order of Merit, making them important for world rankings.

European Tour and ProTour

The European Tour consists of 13 weekend tournaments across continental Europe. These events are streamed on PDCTV and often aired on DAZN or Viaplay depending on the host country. Successful players earn qualification for the European Championship in October. The ProTour refers to the Players Championship and European Tour collectively; results decide who qualifies for majors and maintain tour cards.

Tips for Watching Darts Across Time Zones

Darts viewers often have to contend with matches taking place in different time zones. The Australian Darts Masters is a good example: it begins at 19:00 local time in Wollongong, which translates to 10:00 AM in the UK and 5:00 AM on the US East Coast. To avoid missing your favourite player, consult our time‑conversion table or use the calendar integration tools on PDCTV, ITVX or DAZN. Set reminders on your smartphone; many broadcasters allow you to add events directly to your calendar.

If early morning starts are impractical, make use of catch‑up services. ITVX and PDCTV offer replays shortly after a session ends, while many broadcasters provide highlight packages. For long tournaments like the World Championship, plan which sessions you want to watch live and which you will catch up on later. The PDC website publishes daily start times and lists of matches; using this alongside our schedule will help you avoid confusion.

Remember that some platforms geo‑block content. PDCTV may be unavailable in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands when a tournament is shown on television, and DAZN has different packages depending on your country. Always check local listings for accurate channel information.

Conclusion

This guide has outlined everything you need to know about darts on television today. On 15 August 2025 the focus is on the New Zealand Darts Masters. The quarter‑finals, semi‑final and final begin at 10:00 AM BST (05:00 AM ET) with live coverage on PDCTV and ITVX, delayed on ITV4, and simulcasts across Fox Sports, Sky Sport, DAZN, FanDuel TV, Viaplay and other regional partners. We have also provided a detailed look at upcoming tournaments, current world rankings, player profiles, and the rich history of darts broadcasting. Darts continues to thrive because it blends skill, drama and accessibility; thanks to modern broadcasting deals you can follow every dart thrown from the comfort of your home.

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