"If further proof was needed about the burgeoning popularity of Luke Littler and darts, it came with early viewing figures from Barb that showed the 18-year-old's second world title victory on Saturday night was watched by a peak audience of 2.5m on Sky. They are huge numbers in a sport that, not so long ago, would have been delighted with anything over a million. That is the Littler effect in action."
"What makes Littler's dominance even more remarkable is that he is not a slave to the grind. During lockdown, he practised five or six hours a day to hone his technique. Nowadays it is a lot less. Yet he seems able to turn on a switch and the talent oozes out. Such was his dominance during these world championships that he won 32 sets and lost just four over his seven matches."
"However this was not only victory for Littler, but darts too. The 170,000 tickets for this year's world championships sold out in pre-sale, with 20% of tickets going to non-UK based supporters. Fans from Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Ireland and the United States, turned up in droves many of them in fancy dress. The PR guru Mark Borkowski, who has worked with Ian Botham, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin, among others, told the Guardian that it was a further sign that darts really has gone global. The event has become the Glastonbury of sport, in a sense. It's got that weird mixture of pantomime,"
Luke Littler defeated Gian van Veen 7-1 to claim his second world darts title and a record £1m first prize. The final attracted a peak TV audience of 2.5 million on Sky, reflecting substantial growth in the sport's popularity. Littler practiced intensively during lockdown but trains less now, yet maintained exceptional form, winning 32 sets and losing four across seven matches. He vowed not to change and expressed a desire to dominate and win everything. The world championships sold 170,000 tickets in pre-sale, with 20% purchased by non-UK supporters from countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and the United States, and many fans attended in fancy dress.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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