Luke Littler in action against Luke Humphries during the 2024 Premier League playoffs final match on May 23. Thanks to the teen prodigy, the sport has already hit the bullseye, with demand for tickets to watch his games surging like never before. REUTERS
Luke Littler was virtually unknown a year ago. Now he is making millions, transcending his sport and is searched for more often on Google than King Charles and the British prime minister.
That Littler is a 17-year-old darts player who still lives at home with his parents in northwest England making his rise to fame and increasing fortune all the more remarkable.
It was around this time 12 months ago, with Christmas approaching, when Littler grabbed the attention of Britain and beyond by making an unlikely run to the final of the 2024 World Darts Championship on his tournament debut. He was 16 — though he could easily have passed for double the age — and seemingly without a care in the world, celebrating his victories with doner kebabs and filling his downtime by playing video games.
Littler lost the title match, but won a legion of fans and brought darts — to many, a beer-fueled pub game — back into the mainstream, emulating its 1980s heyday.
It also earned the down-to-earth teenager, nicknamed "Luke The Nuke," 200,000 pounds ($255,000) and opened the door to a whole new world of opportunities.
Littler celebrates with his parents after beating Ryan Meikle. REUTERS
Among them, a place on darts' top circuit, lucrative sponsorship deals, a spot on the sofas of talk shows, messages from superstars like David Beckham and an audience with Alex Ferguson at a Manchester United match at Old Trafford.
Two weeks ago, Google announced that Littler was Britain's most-searched sports star in 2024, and the third most-searched person, behind Kate Middleton and President-elect Donald Trump and just ahead of recently elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the king.
Last week, Littler returned to London's Alexandra Palace, the boisterous venue for the 2025 World Darts Championship, which runs until Jan 3, as a winner of 10 tournaments around the world — including titles in Bahrain and Amsterdam — as the world No 4; with his prize money for 2024 up to around 1 million pounds ($1.28 million); and with 1.3 million followers on Instagram, up from 4,000 before last year's worlds.
On Saturday, Littler set a tournament record with a 140.91 set average, as he secured a second-round win in the world championship with a 3-1 victory over fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle.
"I can't lie, I was nervous on my world championship debut," said Littler, who threw his first dart — onto a magnetic board — at 18 months old. "But, this year, I've won a lot of titles. I've hit nine-darters, and I come in now with a lot more confidence, and playing better than last year.
"It's still my first year, what I've done is incredible, but, also, it's work, and there's money to be made and titles to be won."
This year, Littler is much more comfortable in the spotlight at the 2025 World Darts Championship in London. He faces Ian White in the third round on Dec 28. REUTERS
Earnings potential
Darts promoter Barry Hearn calls it the best Christmas present he's ever had.
"I'm so difficult to buy for, because I'm old and I've got most things I want," said Hearn, the top official of the Professional Darts Corporation. "Then someone gave me Luke Littler."
Littler is one of Britain's most recognizable people. He's the face of a new cereal, has a clothing sponsorship deal, and his image and trademark purple-and-yellow colors adorn accessories sold by Target Darts in toy shops across the country.
"He has opened doors to all the places darts has never been before," said Garry Plummer, chairman of Target Darts, which has sponsored Littler since the age of 12.
Experts say Littler's earnings potential is huge, and that he can lift the sport's appeal to new levels.
"He is one for the social-media age," Dan Plumley, sports finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University in England, said in a phone interview.
"He has been able to connect with footballers, with influencers; he has got people around him that are really in the social-media space for the younger generation."
Littler is putting the sport higher in the news agenda, too, bringing in more TV viewers — Sky Sports' audience peaked at 3.7 million for last year's world championship final, the pay-TV broadcaster's largest ever for a sport that isn't soccer — and making more kids want to play darts.
Littler reacts during his second-round match against Ryan Meikle. REUTERS
Steve Brown, chairman of the Junior Darts Corporation, told the BBC the Littler effect has seen the number of academies for children under the age of 16 double to 115 in the last year, and they can be found in places like Bulgaria and Mongolia. Brown said his corporation has more than 3,000 members, up from 1,600 12 months ago.
Plummer said the uptick in his company's sales was massive on the back of Littler's run to the world final.
"We might have sold 500 sets (of Littler-branded darts) in a year," Plummer said. "I think we had 900 in stock after his first game and they all went the next morning. And then they didn't stop. We couldn't keep up with it."
Breaking records
Top-ranked Luke Humphries beat Littler in last year's world final and said afterward: "All day, in the back of my mind, I've been thinking: 'Get this won now, because he's going to dominate world darts soon.'"
Littler has been widely tipped to challenge the record for world titles — a staggering 16 — held by the now-retired Phil "The Power" Taylor.
"If there's anybody that could do it, it's this young lad," Taylor said. "He's got the age on his side, and he's got the ability."
Littler has the mindset to achieve it, too.
"It's all about that record. He wants to be the best that's ever walked the planet," Plummer told reporters.
Littler of England arrives for the quarterfinal match against Brendan Dolan of Northern Ireland at the 2024 World Darts Championship in London in January. AP
The favorite
Littler has won 139 of his 181 matches in 2024. He has hit four 9-dart finishes — the quickest way to win a leg of darts from the starting point of 501. These things make him, for many, the favorite for the world championship, which started last Sunday.
"Luke Littler was forged into a winner, not just a great dart-thrower," John Part, a three-time world champion from Canada who is calling matches at the world championship for Sky Sports, told reporters.
"He was the best at each age level he's gone through, so is aware of how to win, and he's so comfortable with it. He doesn't feel pressure at all."
Littler said he'll be following a simple routine over the next few weeks: "A lot of sleep, practice, Xbox, and chilling out."
He will next face Ian White, who also hails from Littler's hometown of Runcorn, in the third round on Dec 28.
Agencies via Xinhua
