With the World Darts Championship underway, a new generation of darts stars are reshaping the sport’s momentum. Their emergence has helped modernise the game’s appeal, attracting younger adult audiences and driving fresh engagement in sports betting.

EGR: We’re seeing a wave of new-era darts stars coming through, headlined by names like Luke Humphries and Luke Littler. How would you describe this generational shift and its impact on the sport?

Gareth Crook (GC): The impact of Luke Littler on darts has been immediate, though the full extent of his long-term influence is still to emerge. The numbers already point to a clear shift. The 2024 World Darts Championship final drew 3.7 million viewers, making it Sky’s biggest non-football sporting audience in the UK, while overall television audiences for the sport continue to rise.

The most significant impact, however, is likely to be on standards. In my view, Littler is poised to end a period of predictable dominance at the top of the game. His arrival will raise performance levels across the board: three-dart averages, checkout percentages and overall consistency will all trend higher as players are forced to operate at that level simply to compete. We have seen this effect in other sports, like snooker and tennis. Darts now feels on the cusp of a similar era.

EGR: With the PDC World Darts Championship starting last week, how would you describe the current momentum behind this new wave of young players?

GC: The...