The tournament took place at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, from 22 to 30 July 2017.

Michael van Gerwen was the two-times defending champion but lost to Phil Taylor 16–6 in the quarter-finals, with Taylor then going on to beat Peter Wright 18–8 in the final to claim his 16th World Matchplay Championship.

However, in 2013 after consulting the host broadcaster Sky Sports, the PDC decided that games will now only proceed for a maximum of six extra legs before a tie-break leg is required.

The top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit as of July 10, 2017 were seeded for the tournament.

The top 16 players on the ProTour Order of Merit not to have already qualified will be unseeded.