How British Darts Phenom Luke Littler, 17, Became Sky Sports’ Most-Watched Athlete Beyond Football

Qualifying for the PDC World Championships at the age of 16 was itself an accomplishment, but for British darts phenom Luke Littler, it was only the beginning. During an improbable two-week run through the tournament, “Luke the Nuke” became a sensation across Europe, appearing on TV talk shows and seeing his Instagram following grow from 4,000 to more than 1.2 million fans. His championship match was the most viewed non-football sporting event in Sky Sports history with 3.7 million viewers. Endorsements with Škoda, boohooMAN, Target Darts and Prestige Building Supplies soon followed, and Littler believes he’s at the forefront of an explosion in darts popularity. “The world’s gone mad [for darts],” he says. “It’s one of ’em sports where you’re standing there throwing some tungsten into a board and you’re winning yourself some money and you creating yourself some legacy.”