Luke Littler carved his name into darts history and transcended the sport as he became its youngest-ever world champion on Friday night.
The 17-year-old megastar downed his hero Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the final at Alexandra Palace a year on from bursting onto the scene.
A finalist in 2024 aged just 16, Littler has since become a household name after emerging from obscurity to become the new face of darts.
Following up his captivating final loss with three PDC premier event wins, he’s now added the ultimate prize to cap off a year of unprecedented celebrity and riches.
Much has been made of Littler’s finances as such a tender age, with his winnings now well into the millions after pocketing £500,000 at Ally Pally.
And according to sports finance expert Dr. Rob Wilson, this is just the beginning.
“With prize money and sponsorship, he’ll have amassed around £1m in the calendar year,” Wilson told LuckyBlock.
“Littler’s earnings should be extrapolated like compound interest. As each year passes his prize money will increase year on year, as will his endorsement activity as his profile grows.
“He should comfortably earn £20million in prize money over the next 10 years.
“Add to that sponsorship, the inevitable ‘At Home with the Littlers’ documentary that will follow and other revenue streams and his career earnings could easily hit £100m.”
Comparing Littler to his fellow sports stars, Wilson explained why his achievements at such a young age make him an extraordinary example.
“In sports, no one has seen this sort of meteoric profile and earnings explosion,” he said.
“The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham have all exceeded these numbers, but that came later in their careers. Littler is unique.
“You have to look at the music industry for anything close to the same early years exposure – Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and One Direction spring to mind – though their earnings naturally accelerate way beyond a typical sports star.
“He’s already one of the most recognisable faces in British sport. Sitting alongside Olympic greats like Keely Hodgkinson and tennis superstar Emma Raducanu.
“He is fast becoming as recognisable as some of his football heroes – although not those at his beloved Manchester United.
“He’ll soon sit alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham as a new star of British sport.”
You could make the case that Littler is already there, with him ranking as the most Googled sportsperson in the UK in 2024, and the third overall, ahead of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Most Googled people in the UK in 2024
- Catherine, Princess of Wales (searched as Kate Middleton)
- Donald Trump
- Luke Littler
- Sir Keir Starmer
- Imane Khelif
All of this isn’t just good news for the Warrington native either, but darts as a whole.
Wilson explained: “The sport looks well placed to capitalise too. Barry Hearn [former PDC chairman] will be rubbing his hands together as the profile of the sport takes on a whole new dimension.
“Expect a bumper Sky contract renewal – darts might even save the broadcaster from dwindling subscriber numbers.
“Darts will undergo a renaissance as its popularity increases. The breakthrough with new audiences, something that many sports struggle to crack, means that big sponsors will follow and one of the major apparel companies will try to capitalise, much like Nike did with Tiger Woods in golf.
“Littler could well become a new face for a sportswear giant.”
The teen clearly knows what all of this means too, as he was overcome by emotion following his win over Van Gerwen.
As the final dart landed, the significance of this history-making victory hit the young prodigy, and he couldn’t contain the flood of emotions.
In a poignant display of sportsmanship, Van Gerwen exhibited remarkable grace in defeat. Just moments after the final double 16 thundered into the board, and the two embraced.
Van Gerwen and Littler shared a brief conversation on stage, a testament to their mutual respect. Littler then stepped up to finally get his hands on the Sid Waddell trophy.
Littler has now risen to second in the world on the PDC Order of Merit with his huge winnings seeing him build a comfortable cushion.
He will hope to catch number one ‘Cool Hand’ Luke Humphries next year, with a busy 2025 set to unfold.
‘The Nuke’ will likely be the favourite to defend the title again next season, but his debut year in the sport is now complete and his achievements defy logic.
