Barry Hearn: Thanks to Luke Littler, there aren't enough days in the year for darts tournaments.

The Growing Popularity of Darts Thanks to Luke Littler

According to The Sun: Barry Hearn believes that Luke Littler has made darts so popular that there simply aren't enough days in the calendar for all the tournaments that fans would like to hold.

The head of the PDC noted that Littler is one of the key factors behind the incredible surge in the popularity of this sport.

Getty Shutterstock Editorial

Littler, who is only 18, amazed the world during the 2024 World Championship and has already established himself as one of the best players in the world.

His incredible rise in career has led him to become the world champion within just his second attempt, earning over £1 million in prize money and winning over 15 PDC titles to add to his trophy collection.

"Darts is becoming increasingly popular. I actually have a problem with having only 365 days in a year! The demand worldwide is so great that I could fill the calendar twice," Hearn said in a conversation with Sky Sports.

"It's non-stop. Players are living up to expectations, performing in ways I have never seen before, with average scores and final tallies. Leading the charge is main character Luke Littler, who is rapidly becoming a true phenomenon," he added.

Luke Littler's Financial Success

Luke Littler's Prize Money Distribution

Here is the prize money that Luke Littler won after becoming the PDC World Champion in 2025:

• 2025 World Championship – £500,000
• 2024 World Championship – £200,000
• 2024 Darts Grand Prix – £150,000
• European Tour – £91,000
• Players Championship events – £71,500
• Players Championship Final (runner-up) – £60,000
• UK Open 2023 + 2024 – £17,500
• World Matchplay – £10,000
• World Grand Prix – £7,500
• European Championship – £7,500
• (Non-ranking) Premier League Darts – £315,000

TOTAL: £1.43 million

This year's World Championship will feature a prize pot of an impressive £1 million for the winner – double what it was last year.

Thanks to a historic £125 million deal with Sky Sports over five years, the overall prize fund for the PDC has increased by £7 million.

"This is the first year our prize fund exceeds £25 million, the World Championship is worth £1 million, and the number of European events is increasing due to demand. The Premier League is going beyond the UK and heading to Belgium; this is an ongoing process," Hearn commented on the changes.

id='6379484611112' data-video-id='6379484611112' data-account='5067014667001' data-player='default' data-usage='cms:WordPress:6.5.6:2.8.6:javascript' data-embed='default' class='video-js' data-application-id='' controls style='width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;'> The prize fund for darts continues to grow, reflecting the increasing popularity of the sport, also thanks to young stars like Luke Littler. His successes on the international stage inspire a new generation of players, and significant investments in darts are opening new horizons for the development of this sport in Ukraine and around the world.