LEAGUE LEADER'S BONUS INTRODUCED FOR 2016 BETWAY PREMIER LEAGUE
A RECORD prize fund of £725,000 will be on offer in the 2016 Betway Premier League following the introduction of a £25,000 League Leader's Bonus.
Ten stars - led by reigning Premier League champion Gary Anderson, world number one Michael van Gerwen, World Championship finalist Adrian Lewis and the legendary Phil Taylor - will do battle from February-May in darts' widest-reaching event.
The Betway Premier League will break new ground in 2016 with the inclusion of a league night in the Netherlands as Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena hosts the event on May 12, joining venues across the UK and Ireland in welcoming the sport's top names.
The battle for the title sees the players face each other once in the first nine league nights before Judgement Night in Cardiff sees the bottom two players eliminated.
The remaining eight players then play each other once more from Week Ten to Week 15 before the top four players progress to the Play-Offs to compete for the £200,000 first prize.
However, a new development for 2016 sees the introduction of a £25,000 League Leader's Bonus for the player who tops the league table following the 15 league nights, taking the total prize fund for the event to a record £725,000.
Announcing the news ahead of Thursday's opening league night at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: "The Betway Premier League was already shaping up to be the most competitive ever, but the addition of a League Leader's Bonus gives an extra incentive for all of the stars.
"While the eventual champion is the player who is victorious in the Play-Offs at The O2 in London, we were keen to reward the consistency of the player who manages to top such a competitive league table following 15 weeks.
"Last year's battle for top spot went all the way to the final league match between Michael van Gerwen and Dave Chisnall, and it promises to be equally exciting over the next four months."
Van Gerwen has now topped the league table for the last three years since making his debut in 2013, while Taylor finished in top spot for eight successive seasons from 2005-2012.
The 2016 season, which begins on Thursday night, will also feature former Premier League champions James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld, reigning World Grand Prix champion Robert Thornton, major finalists Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall and former World Youth Champion Michael Smith.
Betway Premier League
2016 Prize Money
| Winner | £200,000 |
| Runner-Up | £100,000 |
| Semi-Finalists | £75,000 |
| League Leader's Bonus | £25,000 |
| Fifth Place | £60,000 |
| Sixth Place | £50,000 |
| Seventh Place | £45,000 |
| Eighth Place | £40,000 |
| Ninth Place | £30,000 |
| Tenth Place | £25,000 |
| Total | £725,000 |