Luke Littler: the teen turning darts into big business

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 mum and dad in north-west England makes his rise to fame and increasing fortune all the more remarkable.

It was around this time 12 months ago when Littler grabbed the attention of Britain and beyond with his unlikely run to the final of the world championship on debut.

He was 16 — though could easily have passed for double the age — and seemingly without a care in the world, celebrating his victories with kebabs and filling his down-time by playing video games.

Littler lost the final but brought darts — to many, a beer-fuelled pub game — into the mainstream, like in its 1980s heyday.

It also earned the down-to-earth teenager, nicknamed "Luke The Nuke," Stg 200,000 ($A400,000) and opened the door to a whole new world of opportunities.

Like a place on darts' main circuit. Lucrative sponsorship deals. Talk show sofas. Messages from superstars like David Beckham, and an audience with Alex Ferguson for a Manchester United match at Old Trafford.

On Tuesday, Google announced Littler was Britain's most-searched athlete in 2024 and the third most-searched person, behind Kate Middleton and Donald Trump, and just ahead of UK PM Keir Starmer and the king.

Next week, he'll return to London's Alexandra Palace as a winner of 10 tournaments around the world. He's now world No.4, with his 2024 prizemoney up to around Stg 1million ($A2.01 million) and with 1.3 million followers on Instagram.

"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."

Darts promoter Barry Hearn beams that the kid was his Christmas gift last year.

"I'm so difficult to buy for because I'm old and I've got most things I want. Then someone gave me Luke Littler," he laughed.

Littler is now one of Britain's most recognisable people, his image and trademark purple-and-yellow colours adorning 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 the firm that's sponsored Littler since he was 12 and makes his darts.

Littler is 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 outside soccer — and making more kids want to play darts.

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.

Luke Humphries beat Littler in last year's world final and said afterwards: "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.'"

He's even been widely tipped to challenge the record for world titles, held by the now-retired Phil "The Power" Taylor at a staggering 16.

"If there's anybody that could do it, it's this young lad now," Taylor said. "He's got the age on his side, and he's got the ability."

Littler has won 139 of his 181 matches in 2024. He has hit four nine-dart finishes — the quickest way to win a leg of darts from the starting point of 501. These things make him, for many, the favourite for the worlds, starting on Sunday.

Littler says he'll be following a simple routine over the next few weeks: "A lot of sleep, practice, Xbox, chill out..."