Teen sensation Luke Littler propels PDC World Darts Championship to record viewership
The electrifying performance of teenage darts prodigy Luke Littler in the PDC World Darts Championship has captivated fans and shattered records, delivering an unprecedented audience for the sport.
During the January 2 semi-finals, where the 16-year-old triumphed over Rob Cross and Luke Humphries defeated Scott Williams, the event drew an astounding average audience of 1.48 million on Sky, the pay-TV giant.
This viewership marked the largest-ever audience for a darts match, surpassing all previous PDC World Championship events, including finals. Littler’s semi-final victory over Cross recorded an average of 1.79 million viewers, peaking at 2.32 million—an extraordinary 165 percent increase on last year’s semi-finals.
Eddie Hearn, the Chairman of Matchroom Sport and Professional Darts Corporation, took to X to share the news, stating, “BREAKING..the record viewership for darts was 1.65m for Taylor v Anderson in 2015 Last night Littler v Cross smashed the record with 2.32m audience! Bigger than the Ashes, bigger than the Ryder Cup let’s break 3m tonight for the final @OfficialPDC.”
BREAKING..the record viewership for darts was 1.65m for Taylor v Anderson in 2015 Last night Littler v Cross smashed the record with 2.32m audience! Bigger than the Ashes, bigger than the Ryder Cup let’s break 3m tonight for the final @OfficialPDC 🔥 🎯
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) January 3, 2024
This figure represents a remarkable 106 percent surge from the previous semi-final record set in 2017, featuring Michael van Gerwen and Cross, and a 40 percent increase from the most-watched final in 2015, when 1.65 million viewers witnessed Gary Anderson’s victory over Phil Taylor.
Littler’s quarter-final win against Brendan Dolan had already set a record as the most-viewed match in the history of the World Darts Championship. Anticipation is now building for the final showdown between Littler and Humphries, with expectations high that tonight’s championship match will once again break the recently established viewership record.
As Littler aims to become the youngest-ever winner of the PDC World Darts Championship, the sport continues to ride a wave of popularity, capturing the attention of a diverse and growing audience.
