Players Championship Darts Finals 2014: Dates, Live Stream, TV Info, Prize Money
The Players Championship Darts Finals 2014 heads to Minehead, England, this week, with the top 32 players in the PDC's order of merit set to compete for an increased £300,000 prize.
From 2013 winner Michael van Gerwen to three-time champion Phil Taylor, some of the biggest names in the sport will be in Minehead this week with their eyes on the £65,000 grand prize.
The World Championships at Alexandra Palace (London) are just a month away, and all concerned will be keen to lay down an early marker ahead of the biggest tournament in the darts calendar.
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| Friday, Nov. 28 2014 | First Round | 12.45-17.00 | 19.00-23.00 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 2014 | Second Round | 12.45-17.00 | 19.00-23.00 |
| Sunday Nov. 30 2014 | Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and final | 12.45-17.00 | 19.00-23.00 |
Three days of action at Minehead will decide the Players Championship Finals 2014 winner, and Scotland's Gary Anderson, winner of six Players Championship events this calendar year, will be the man to beat at the oche.
Van Gerwen and Taylor, though, battled in a memorable final last year and will be confident of repeating their performances. Adrian Lewis, James Wade and Mervyn King are among this year's tour winners set to also be involved.
Live Stream and TV Info
Coverage of the Players Championship Darts Finals 2014 will be broadcast on ITV 4 in the United Kingdom, with both sessions to be carried live on all days of competition.
ITV 4 is free to air on all digital television formats, while those with an internet connection can watch via the ITV 4 online player.
Highlights packages will also be available via the ITV Sport webpage.
Prize Money
In January this year, the PDC announced changes to its prize money allocations for this year's events, with the total prize fund available at the Players Championship Finals rising to £300,000.
The breakdown for the new purses is as follows:
| Winner | £65,000 |
| Runner-Up | £35,000 |
| Semi-Finalists | £17,000 |
| Quarter-Finalists | £11,500 |
| Last 16 | £7,000 |
| Last 32 | £4,000 |
| Total | £300,000 |
The first-round draw could not have been worse for reigning champion Van Gerwen, though, having been selected to face 31st seed and former world champion Raymond van Barneveld in the opening round.
Van Barneveld's ranking has slipped considerably over the past 12 months, and he has yet to record a tournament win on the PDC tour in 2014, but his countryman will be more than aware of his abilities on the big stage.
Taylor, meanwhile, will take on the 24th seed, Ronnie Baxter, for his place in the last 16 in what is a potentially tricky tie against a longtime challenger on tour, while No. 1 seed Gary Anderson will face the lowest-ranked entrant, Christian Kist, in his opening bout.
A full list of the first-round draw can be found on the Sky Sports website.
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