Darts-'Battle of the Lukes' drew record peak audience on Sky

The World Darts Championship final between Luke Humphries and 16-year-old Luke Littler drew Sky Sports television's biggest ever non-soccer peak audience of 3.71 million, the broadcaster said on Thursday. Littler's remarkable run to the final has also seen the teenager selected to take part in the 2024 Premier League, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) announced on Thursday.

The World Darts Championship final between Luke Humphries and 16-year-old Luke Littler drew Sky Sports television's biggest ever non-soccer peak audience of 3.71 million, the broadcaster said on Thursday.

Littler's remarkable run to the final has also seen the teenager selected to take part in the 2024 Premier League, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) announced on Thursday. The contest at London's Alexandra Palace, with Littler bidding to become darts' youngest world champion, was viewed by a total of more than 4.8 million - making it the most watched darts event ever on Sky.

The previous peak record for a final of 1.65 million was set in January 2015 when Gary Anderson beat 16 times world champion Phil Taylor. A peak audience of 2.32 million had already watched Littler's 6-2 semi-final thrashing of 2018 champion Rob Cross on Tuesday.

Humphries, who lived up to his "Cool Hand Luke" nickname, took the PDC World Championship with a 7-4 victory after reeling off five successive sets. The world number one paid tribute to his young opponent afterwards.

"He's created a massive global following from so many incredible celebrities which is massive and great for our sport," Humphries, 28, told Sky. "He well and truly could dominate the sport, that's for sure."

PREMIER LEAGUE Littler will become the youngest-ever player to take part in the Premier League and Humphries will also make his debut in the competition having risen to number one in the world rankings.

"Newly-crowned world champion Luke Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler will headline the 2024 BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup, with reigning champion Michael van Gerwen also starring in the eight-player field for the forthcoming season," the PDC said. The roadshow tournament begins in Cardiff on Feb. 1 and goes to 15 other venues across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands before the top four players in the league progress to the playoffs in London.

Humphries, who took home a 500,000 pounds ($633,100) winner's prize, recognised the raucous crowd had wanted the teenager to win but said he had to "spoil the party". He suggested also that Littler could change his nickname from 'The Nuke' to 'Relentless', so consistent and unfazed was his play.

"He made everything go his way. He showed such great maturity on young shoulders. If you are doing those sort of things at 16, it's mindless to think where he could be in five years' time. "He will be world champion one day, there is no doubt in my mind. I just thought to myself its important that I get one in early before he does dominate us all and it becomes a much harder task to beat him."

Littler told a press conference he had enjoyed every minute of the competition but was also looking forward to going home and "getting back to reality".