The Littler effect - how darts hit the bullseye

Event: PDC World Championship; Dates: 15 December - 3 January; BBC coverage: Daily matter commentaries connected BBC Sport website and app.

Teenager Luke Littler originates his bid to triumph nan PDC World Darts Championship connected Saturday nighttime (21:15 GMT) pinch a second-round lucifer against Ryan Meikle.

Here we measure Littler's effect aft a singular emergence which saw him named BBC Young Sports Personality of nan Year and runner-up successful nan main grant to jock Keely Hodgkinson.

One twelvemonth ago, he was hardly a family sanction successful his ain home. Now he is simply a sporting phenomenon.

After emerging from obscurity aged 16 to scope nan World Championship final, nan life of Luke Littler and nan athletics he loves has been transformed. Viewing figures, summons income and societal media liking person rocketed. Darts has deed nan bullseye.

This Christmas much than 100,000 children are expected to beryllium opening Littler-branded magnetic dartboards arsenic presents.

His effect has helped double nan number of inferior academies, prompted plans to grow nan World Championship and generated liking successful darts from Saudi Arabian backers.

Just months aft taking his GCSE exams and classed 164th successful nan world, Littler hit erstwhile champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross en way to nan PDC World Championship last successful January, earlier his tally ended pinch a 7-4 nonaccomplishment to Luke Humphries.

With his nickname 'The Nuke' connected his purple and yellowish garment and nan Alexandra Palace crowd belting retired his walk-on song, Pitbull's tune Greenlight, he became an instant hit. Electric connected nan stage, calm disconnected it. The down-to-earth teen celebrated pinch a kebab and machine games.

"We've been watching his advancement since he was astir seven. He was connected our radar, but we ne'er anticipated what would happen. The adjacent point we cognize 'Littlermania' is spreading everywhere," PDC president Barry Hearn told BBC Sport.

A highest TV assemblage of 3.7 cardinal group watched nan last - easy Sky's biggest fig for a non-football sporting event.

The teen from Warrington successful Cheshire was excessively young to legally thrust aliases portion alcohol, but earned £200,000 for finishing 2nd - portion of £1m prize money successful his first twelvemonth arsenic a master - and an invitation to nan elite Premier League competition.

He turned 17 later successful January but was he excessively young for nan demanding arena complete 17 Thursday nights successful 17 locations? He ended up winning nan full thing, and deed a nine-dart decorativeness against Humphries successful nan final.

From Bahrain to Wolverhampton, Littler claimed 10 titles successful 2024 and is now eyeing the World Championship.

As he progressed astatine nan Ally Pally, nan Manchester United instrumentality was sent a bully luck connection by nan club's erstwhile midfielder and ex-England skipper David Beckham.

In 12 months, Littler's IG followers person risen from 4,000 to 1.3m. Commercial backers see a clothing range, cereal patient and train institution and he will look successful a reboot of nan TV darts show Bullseye.

Google opportunity he was nan most searched-for athlete online successful nan UK during 2024.

On nan backmost of his success, Littler darts, boards, cabinets, shirts are being snapped up successful large numbers.

"This Christmas nan inferior magnetic dartboard is trading out, we're talking complete 100,000. They're 20 quid and a awesome preamble for young children," said Garry Plummer, nan leader of sponsors Target Darts, who first signed a woody pinch Littler's family erstwhile he was aged 12.

"All nan artifact shops want it, they each want him - 17, clean, doesn't drink, wonderful."

The number of academies for children nether nan property of 16 has doubled successful nan past year, says Junior Darts Corporation president Steve Brown.

There are 115 dedicated groups offering youngsters equipment, tournaments and a spot to develop, pinch bases including Australia, Bulgaria, Greece, Norway, USA and Mongolia.

"We've seen truthful galore inquiries from astir nan world, it's been specified a boom. It took america 14 years to get 1,600 members and wrong 12 months we person complete 3,000, and waiting lists," said Brown.

"When I played darts arsenic a child, I was rather embarrassed to show my friends what my hobby was. All these kids playing darts now are beautiful celebrated astatine school. It's a spot stone 'n rotation and recognised arsenic a cool point to do."

Plans are being hatched to widen nan World Championship by 4 days and summation nan number of players from 96 to 128.

That will boost nan number of tickets disposable by 25,000 to 115,000 but Hearn reckons he could waste 3 times arsenic many.

He says Saudi Arabia wants to big a tournament, which is apt to hap if no-alcohol regulations are relaxed.

"They will alteration their rules successful nan adjacent 12 months astir apt for definite areas having alcohol, and we'll return darts location and person a statement successful Saudi," he said.

"When I comberan progressive successful darts, nan full prize money was thing for illustration £300,000 for nan year. This twelvemonth it will spell to £20m. I expect successful 5 years' time, we'll beryllium playing for £40m."

Former electrician Cross charged to nan 2018 world title successful his first afloat season, while Adrian Lewis and Michael van Gerwen were aggregate victors successful their 20s and 16-time champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is wide considered nan top of each time.

Littler is presently 4th successful nan world rankings, though that is based connected a two-year Order of Merit.

There person been suggestions from others nan spotlight connected nan teen intends world number 1 Humphries, 29, has been denied nan sum he deserves, but nary darts subordinate has made a people astatine specified a young property arsenic Littler.

"Luke Humphries is different fabulous subordinate who is going to beryllium astir for years. Sport is simply a very sadis world. It is astir winning and claiming nan precocious ground. There will beryllium envy around," Hearn said.

"Luke Littler is nan adjacent Tiger Woods for darts truthful they amended get utilized to it, and nan only measurement to compete is to get better."

World number 38 Martin Lukeman was awestruck arsenic he described facing a highest Littler aft being crushed 16-3 in nan Grand Slam final, pinch nan teen winning 15 consecutive legs.

"I can't compete pinch that, it was for illustration Godly. He was relentless, he is truthful bully it's ridiculous," he said.

Lukeman tin still spot nan benefits he brings, adding: "What he's done for nan athletics is brilliant. If it wasn't for him, our wages wouldn't beryllium going up. There's much sponsors, much money coming in, each good."

Hearn feels early title whitethorn travel from players moreover younger than Littler.

"I watched a 10-year-old a fewer months agone who averaged 104.89 and checked retired a 4-3 triumph pinch a 136 finish. They smell nan money, nan fame and put nan difficult activity in," he said.

How overmuch amended Littler tin get is guesswork, though Plummer believes he wants to scope caller heights.

"He ne'er says 'how bully was I?' But I deliberation he wants to break records and hit Phil Taylor's 16 World Championships and 16 World Matchplay titles," he said. "He's young capable to do it."

A type of this article was primitively published connected 29 November.