Demand for tickets to watch darts has rocketed following the explosion onto the scene of teenager Luke Littler, with sales for some events up three-fold on last year.
Littler shot to international fame earlier this month when he reached the final of the sport’s biggest event, the World Championship at Alexandra Palace, aged just 16.
His inclusion on the eight-man roster for this year’s Premier League has seen more than double the number of tickets for the first event in Cardiff this week sold on marketplace Viagogo.
The volume of tickets changing hands on the platform for the Premier League final in May at the O2, meanwhile, has trebled, in what is being dubbed “the Littler Effect”.
Sports business expert Prof Rob Wilson of Sheffield Hallam University said the “data provides a fascinating insight into the impact Luke Littler is having on his sport.
“We are seeing the real-time influence that this incredible talent is having on public interest in darts, and how it converts into consumer purchasing behaviour.”
Littler has already proven his World Championship run was no fluke by following it up with victory at the Bahrain Masters and reaching the final of the Dutch Masters.
The kebab-loving thrower from Warrington, now 17, is set to make his Premier League debut against world No1 Luke Humphries in a repeat of the Ally Pally final.
“Luke Littler has captured the imagination of a whole new generation of darts fans and, despite his tender age, is already the biggest ticket in darts,” said Viagogo global managing director Cris Miller.
“It’s evident that his World Championship run, and remarkable performances since then, have played a pivotal role in driving this heightened interest in the Premier League season.”
The Littler Effect has sent demand for darts tickets soaring