While opinion is split on whether darts qualifies as a sport, one thing that cannot be disputed is its ability to entertain its fans. From the pub to Alexandra Palace, darts is enjoyed by millions of people in the United Kingdom and beyond, with the
amounting to over three million in 2025. Luke Littler’s arrival onto the scene has been an exciting recent development, and the youngster from Warrington won his first
in 2025. While the
tends to skew older than Littler – the largest share of fans in Great Britain being aged 55 and older – the darts industry will hope it can fully capitalize on the 'Littler Effect' and attract new fans in years to come.
How popular is darts?
As of 2023, the
number of regular darts participants in England was relatively low compared to other sports, with around 11,300 people playing darts at least twice a week. Meanwhile, in 2024, the
share of adults in Great Britain that liked playing and/or watching darts amounted to 36 percent, with a slightly higher proportion preferring to just watch rather than play. Live darts can be an electric experience, but one that comes at a price – at least 85 British pounds to be exact, if you were lucky enough to get
tickets for the World Darts Championship final in 2025. Many had to watch at home, and the
average TV audience of the 2024/25 World Darts Championship in Germany amounted to over 700,000.
Who are the best darts players?
“The Power”, “The Crafty Cockney”, “The Nuke” – professional darts players and their nicknames are certainly unique in the world of sport. As of early 2025, the
highest-ranked male darts player was Luke Humphries, “Cool Hand Luke” having won over 1.8 million British pounds in prize money over a two-year period. This was significantly more than the leader of the
Women’s Series Order of Merit, with Beau Greaves amassing 24,400 British pounds over the course of 2024. Historically, one player stands out above all others: Phil Taylor. Arguably the greatest of all time, Taylor holds significantly more
World Darts Championship titles than any other player. It will take some time before anyone even gets close to Taylor’s record of 14, yet if Luke Littler can maintain his upwards trajectory, darts could well see a new legend in the future.
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