Darts supremo Barry Hearn admits Luke Littler has caused him a 'problem'

The 'Luke Littler effect' has seen the demand for darts go through the roof according to Barry Hearn, who has confirmed that prize money for the sport will reach new heights this year.

Littler, 18, has quickly become a heavyweight of the sport since his emergence at the 2024 World Championship and is now the most talked about player on the circuit. His meteoric rise has not only already seen him become a world champion but has also had a positive impact on the sport as a whole.

Darts kingpin Hearn, 77, has credited Littler for a surge in darts' popularity since bursting onto the scene. The only problem, according to the Matchroom Sports chief, is that he's struggling to meet demands. Speaking to Sky Sports, he explained: "It's [darts] just getting bigger and bigger. I'm actually having a problem that there is only 365 days in a year! The demand worldwide is so huge that I could fill that twice."

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"It's non stop," the former Leyton Orient chairman continued. "The players are responding with performances beyond what I've ever seen in my life, in terms of averages and checkouts. Led by the main man Luke Littler, who is fast becoming a phenomenon."

The Littler effect hasn't just transformed the popularity of the sport but also the finances on offers to players; Littler himself has already banked in excess of £1million in prize money since playing senior events and establishing himself as one of the sport's top dogs.

And Hearn confirmed that darts will break new ground this year in terms of prize money, with the total pot shared out between winners of events across the entirety of 2025 exceeding the £25m barrier.

Hearn added: "This is the first year where our prize money goes past £25million, World Championship is worth £1million, more European events because of demand in Europe. The Premier League is heading out of the UK and going to Belgium, it's non stop."

Littler was beaten by Michael van Gerwen in the World Series of Darts final on Sunday. The Dutchman triumphed 11-7 over Little in front of a raucous Amsterdam crowd to win his first televised title triumph in two years. Victory in the final over Littler means Van Gerwen will bank a cool £80,000.