Luke Littler beat Gian van Veen 7-1 in the final to win the World Darts Championship and soon after announce a huge sponsorship deal. – Not only is he the world’s number one, he is also credited with completely changing the sport of darts. – That’s right, take a lites test, how many darts players can you name in 30 seconds….
The 18-year-old, who earlier this month won the £1 million prize to win the World Championship, has signed a 10-year deal with Target Darts.
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Target has described the deal as “the biggest deal in darts history between a brand and a player”, and PA Media reports that it could be worth up to £20 million including potential bonuses and add-ons.
BBC Sport has contacted Littler’s representatives and Target Darts and wondered what on earth is going on.
Littler has won two world championships and already has 10 major titles to his name.
“Target has believed in me from day one,” said Littler, who is also managed by the company.
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“From my playing career to my product lineup, we’ve built everything together, and I’m really excited to commit to our long-term partnership and see where we can take it next.”
Target sells a variety of equipment, including Luke Little darts, dartboards, and player shirts.
“I want to dominate” – Littler takes another step towards greatness.
Littler burst onto the scene at the 2024 World Darts Championships, where he reached the final, but lost to Luke Humphries.
He won the Premier League title in 2024 and went on to win his first World Cup in January 2025, before defending his crown.
Only Phil Taylor, with 14, and Michael van Gerwen, with three, have won more PDC World Championships than Littler, who is also only the fourth player to win two years in a row.
Target’s chairman Garry Plummer said: “I met Luke during qualifying for the BDO Youth World Championship when he was 12 years old and that day his dad asked if we would sponsor him.
“We had never taken on someone so young, but I saw something special in him, and it was easy to say yes.”
Littler is currently preparing for the World Series doubleheader in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
No longer just a darts phenomenon, but a star that goes beyond the sport – analysis.
Luke Littler’s impact on darts is hard to overstate.
His path to the final of the PDC World Championship two years ago as a 16-year-old captured the imagination and helped create a new generation of darts fans.
This latest deal shows that the initial enthusiasm for Littler has endured, and even grown, while the teenager has dominated the sport.
The prize money for the winner of the World Cup was doubled to £1 million this year, and next year the tournament will move from the West Hall to the larger Great Hall at Alexandra Palace, allowing 70,000 additional spectators to participate throughout the competition.
There can be little doubt that the rise of Littler has played a role in both.
He is no longer just a darts phenomenon, but a sports star in a broader sense – and with this sponsorship deal, he is now being paid as such.
