Sky Sports signs biggest TV deal in darts history as ‘Luke Littler effect’ leads to record viewing figures

SKY SPORTS person signed the biggest TV woody successful darts – and it is each down to the "Luke Littler effect".

The subscription transmission has agreed a caller five-year declaration with the Professional Darts Corporation to showcase six majors annually betwixt 2025-2030.

Starting successful December, the statement volition screen the PDC World Darts Championship astatine Ally Pally, the 17-week Premier League roadworthy show, the World Cup of Darts, the World Matchplay successful Blackpool, the World Grand Prix successful Leicester and the Grand Slam of Darts successful Wolverhampton.

Last month, the Telegraph reported that Sky had beaten Netflix to a £125million woody – worthy £25million per year, much than treble its existing rights interest successful designation of the maturation successful darts viewing figures.

SunSport has enactment those figures to Sky and the PDC but some declined to comment.

Sky person broadcast the athletics since December 1993 erstwhile the PDC (formerly the World Darts Council) acceptable up a rival satellite title pursuing a bitter ineligible conflict and divided from the now-defunct British Darts Organisation (BDO).

What strengthened the manus of the PDC successful the negotiations this clip was the unthinkable emergence and nationwide involvement successful Littler implicit the past 14 months.

When helium reached the World Darts Championship last connected his debut successful January 2024, aged conscionable 16, it captured the imaginativeness of the sporting public.

A grounds non-football Sky Sports/Now TV assemblage of 4.8million tuned successful arsenic Littler was beaten 7-4 by Luke Humphries successful the finale to the flagship lawsuit successful North London.

Twelve months later, a highest assemblage of 3.1million tuned successful arsenic Littler went 1 better, smashing Michael van Gerwen 7-3 successful the final to triumph the £500,000 jackpot.

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Figures passim 2024 connected Sky roseate considerably arsenic Littler played connected circuit for the archetypal time.

Notably, helium won the Premier League Darts – helium deed a nine-darter successful the last triumph implicit Humphries – and banked £315,000 successful prize money.

In November, helium became Grand Slam champion erstwhile helium crushed Martin Lukeman 16-3 successful the final.

In 2024, Littler came apical successful Google’s most-searched athletes successful the UK, up of shot superstars Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham arsenic good arsenic Olympic champions Simone Biles and Adam Peaty.

Littler has earned much than £1.5million successful prize wealth since turning nonrecreational and brought a overmuch younger assemblage to the sport.