Teenage darts ace Luke Littler has won a sensational world title – and is now being tipped to pocket an eye-watering £50 million ($62.1 million).
The 17-year-old beat arch-rival Michael van Gerwen, 35, in front of 3,500 delirious fans and millions of TV viewers at Alexandra Palace. He pocketed £500,000 ($621,000) winnings after being crowned PDC world champ – taking his yearly prize money total to £1.5 million ($1.86 million)
Kebab-loving Littler, nicknamed The Nuke, is believed to have earned a similar amount in sponsorship deals during 2024. But sports marketing experts say that is just the tip of the iceberg for the teenage prodigy after his dramatic win.
Darts chiefs are hopeful of cracking the lucrative U.S. market in 2025, which will see prize money skyrocket. Littlers endorsement deals could treble his annual winnings – putting him on course to earn £50 million ($62.1 million) during his career.
Sponsorship and marketing consultant Nigel Currie told the Daily Mirror: Its just perfect timing for Luke. Darts continues to grow remarkably and its lucrative for all the players, especially the top ones.
The TV viewing figures are incredible and the money is pouring into the sport like never before. Luke has come along at just the right time. Its an unbelievable story to have such a young player at the top of a sport.
He has earned over £1M ($1.24M) in prize money this year alone, and I suspect at least the same in sponsorship money, if not more. That is only going to get bigger and will make him a very rich young man indeed. The sky is the limit.
A lot of potential sponsors will have been holding back last year, waiting to see if it was a fluke tournament. But he has proven he is here to stay. He will be the pin-up boy of the sport for many years.
With that comes enormous potential and lucrative deals. The sponsors will be queuing up like never before. Darts is unusual in that it is one of the only sports in the world where so much focus is on a players face.
They are instantly recognisable, whereas sports such as Formula 1 suffer before the stars are behind helmets. Not even tennis or golf come close in terms of the coverage the star gets during a match.
Thats why sponsors love darts players and pay big money for them to represent their brands. Luke has the potential to be around for many years to come. If he plays for another 15 years he still wont be as old as van Gerwen is now.
Darts players can play into their 40s and still be at the top of their game. Prize money will continue to go up, as will TV viewing figures, and there is a high chance of cracking the American market.
Every sport needs heroes. Snooker had Alex Higgins and Ronnie OSullivan, tennis had John McEnroe. Now darts has a ready-made hero in Luke Littler. You need people like him, who the public adore.
Runcorn-born Littler was unknown outside of the darts world a little over a year ago. But his remarkable journey to the 2024 final, which ended in defeat to Luke Humphries, saw him become a household name.
Former dart champ Dennis Priestley, 74, has tipped Littler to keep up his jaw-dropping earnings throughout his career. He said: I think Littler could earn at least £1m per year as long as he keeps his standards high and his love for the sport doesnt decrease. Littler has to keep himself motivated, he has to think of the accolades and records that are there for him instead of the money.
But Priestley warned the pizza-loving Manchester United fan to concentrate on his fitness as his career progresses. He said: While hes young, Littler can get away with a lot of unprofessional, bad habits. He probably cant see them now because hes still a kid.
He should look at Luke Humphriess transformation and shed some weight. To keep on the treadmill of darts, he may have to go on a treadmill of his own.
Littler was snapped enjoying a vape on Thursday night on a balcony outside the Alexandra Palace. He has been staying in a London apartment during the sell-out tournament.
Last October he splashed out on a £6,000-a-month ($7,500) rented luxury mansion for his family in his hometown of Warrington. He shares the house with shop worker mum Lisa Littler, 40, and cabbie dad Anthony Buckley, 43.
It is guarded by electric gates and boasts an indoor swimming pool, cinema and gym. Sources say the family are now house-hunting in the Cheshire footballers belt for a permanent home.
Littler won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award last month. He has 1.5 million followers in Instagram and 224,000 on X and counts England stars Declan Rice and James Maddison among his friends.
Darts sensation Phil Taylor, regarded as the sports greatest-ever player, pocketed £12 million during his 36-year career. But the majority of his victories came when there was little mainstream interest in sport and lower prize money.
Littlers opponent, van Gerwen, is the current richest player in darts, with career prize money of £9 million ($11.2 million). The nearest comparison to Littlers rise to fame is Emma Raducanus victory at the US Open in 2021.
She bagged £1.8M ($2.25M) prize money after winning in New York, but earned far more afterwards through sponsorship deals. Littler could also pocket millions of pounds from TV appearances.
He is banned from endorsing gambling firms until he is 25 or alcoholic brands until he turns 18 in a fortnight. Recents deals include shirt sponsorships with KP Nuts and Xbox.
In April he was recognised by Forbes as one of the best rising stars in sport, alongside England and Real Madrid ace Jude Bellingham. Later that month his company, Luke Littler Darts, lodged an application to trademark his name.
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