Barry Hearn sends warning to top darts stars that ‘little Littler Army’ is coming to dominate the sport
BARRY HEARN expects darts to be monopolised within the next decade by “Luke Littler and his little Littler Army”.
Britain’s top sports promoter, 76, claims he has been monitoring The Nuke, 17, for 10 years but his displays in his debut year as a pro have exceeded all expectations.
Littler – the world championship finalist and Premier League champion – is capable of “superman checkouts” according to Hearn and has revolutionised a sport that originated in pubs and clubs.
Yet established big names have been warned there is a horde of non-drinking youngsters emerging from their bedrooms – and that once-in-a-generation talent Littler is only the tip of the iceberg.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Barry Hearn Show on Spotify, the Essex businessman said: “Luke’s scoring power, especially in bursts, is so impressive you just can’t live with it.
“And he checks out at a speed not known before – it’s like Superman checkouts.
“I’m asked: Is he going to be the greatest of all time? Can he surpass Phil Taylor’s record, which I don’t think anyone ever dreamed anyone would?
“The answer is: He has a chance but it’s early days.
“The biggest problem he’s got is that he’s inspired so many people.
“Especially those who haven’t been battered over the years and can see what hard work, discipline and sacrifice can do for you in life.
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“Luke Littler has earned around a million-and-a-half quid already. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
“He’s seventeen. He’s buying a nice house and he’s going to get nice things. So kids look up to him. And there’s also a wealth of young talent around him.
Inside Littler's massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title – which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May.
He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player.
He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
“They aren’t all from Britain. All around the world kids have seen Luke Littler on TV and realised this sport can change your life.
“They have dedicated themselves. And they’re not drinkers or coming out of the pubs. Those days are gone.
“The problem for the established big names is they have to stay there to earn the type of money they want to earn.
“They’re going to be under pressure from Luke Littler and his little Littler Army.
“There are tens of dozens of these kids around the world that are going to completely change the face of darts over the next few years.”
To illustrate his point further, Hearn used an example of a ten-year-old kid who averaged 104.89 in a seven-leg contest, which he clinched with a 136 checkout.
In comparison, the Crafty Cockney Eric Bristow “won world titles with an average of less than 90”.
He said: “There are plenty of kids out there, of that age and younger, that if they don’t discover wine, women and song, then why not?
“Darts is the only sport where you can go back to your bedroom at night, hang your dartboard over your door, mark out the appropriate distance and just sling arrows.
“Smash the granny out of the Treble 20. They’re coming out of their bedrooms and are ready to take on the world.”
Warrington-born Littler is the favourite to win the PDC World Darts Championship on January 3, 2025 – the final is three weeks before he turns 18.
In 2024, he has banked more than £1million in prize money, scooped ten titles and moved up to fourth spot in the world rankings.
Hearn said: “First year in the world championship, playing on a big stage, all that pressure – he surpassed my expectations.
“We’ve been watching his career since he was seven or eight.
“He was a prodigy and he’d been knocking in some big averages on the Junior Darts Corporation and then subsequently on the Development Tour.
“But who knew that he was going to actually embrace the big stage? Because that’s what separates the men from the boys.”
+ The Barry Hearn Show is available on all podcast platforms – with exclusive video episodes on Spotify.
List of all-time Darts World Champions
BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year.
The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.
- 1994 – Dennis Priestley
- 1995 – Phil Taylor
- 1996 – Phil Taylor (2)
- 1997 – Phil Taylor (3)
- 1998 – Phil Taylor (4)
- 1999 – Phil Taylor (5)
- 2000 – Phil Taylor (6)
- 2001 – Phil Taylor (7)
- 2002 – Phil Taylor (8)
- 2003 – John Part
- 2004 – Phil Taylor (9)
- 2005 – Phil Taylor (10)
- 2006 – Phil Taylor (11)
- 2007 – Raymond van Barneveld
- 2008 – John Part (2)
- 2009 – Phil Taylor (12)
- 2010 – Phil Taylor (13)
- 2011 – Adrian Lewis
- 2012 – Adrian Lewis (2)
- 2013 – Phil Taylor (14)
- 2014 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2015 – Gary Anderson
- 2016 – Gary Anderson (2)
- 2017 – Michael van Gerwen (2)
- 2018 – Rob Cross
- 2019 – Michael van Gerwen (3)
- 2020 – Peter Wright
- 2021 – Gerwyn Price
- 2022 – Peter Wright (2)
- 2023 – Michael Smith
- 2024 – Luke Humphries
Most World Titles
- 14 – Phil Taylor
- 3 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2 – John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
- 1 – Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries