Darts may quit Alexandra Palace as iconic north London venue is 'too small for overwhelming demand'

The imaginable plans, starting from the 2025-26 edition, were revealed by seasoned promoter and Matchroom president Barry Hearn.

He said helium was unfastened to the thought aft selling retired 90,000 WDC tickets successful conscionable 15 minutes this year.

There volition besides beryllium an summation successful competitors for the 16-day event, with a full of 96 - up from 72 successful December 2018.

Another 32 volition besides vie for darts’ astir prestigious trophy adjacent year, with 128 attempting to beryllium declared satellite champion.

The changes mean much sessions volition beryllium played and accrued request for tickets.

He told Jeff Stelling's talkSPORT meal show: “For the satellite title this year, 90,000 tickets sold retired successful 15 minutes.

“I asked my radical successful caput office, ‘tell me, however galore could I person sold?’

“They said, determination implicit 300,000. Now that puts a antithetic accent connected it.

“Same arsenic erstwhile we moved from the Circus Tavern each those years ago, present I'm looking astatine Alexandra Palace.

“And I'm saying, well, it lone holds 3,500. I person to turn each the time. If you ever get complacent you spell backwards.

“So, adjacent twelvemonth we volition spell from 96 to 128 players. We volition adhd 4 much days, which is 8 sessions, which is different 25,000 tickets.

“Sooner oregon later, I should beryllium looking and saying: ‘Do you know, similar with snooker, I request a bigger venue.’”

Last year's championships saw past 16-year-old Luke Littler tempest his mode into the expansive final, securing a spot arsenic 1 of the sport's astir acclaimed figures.

The imaginable determination comes aft Hearn warned Sheffield City Council it whitethorn nary longer big the World Snooker Championship successful the metropolis unless its venue, the Crucible, is replaced with a bigger capableness venue.

It is not yet wide wherever the PDC World Darts Championships could determination to, if the connection goes ahead, and whether this would besides beryllium successful London.

The Standard has contacted Matchroom for further information.