- Littler makes his Premier League debut on Thursday after a sensational rise
- He finished second twice and won one of his last three tournaments
- The 17-year-old will face world champion Luke Humphries in his debut match
Luke Littler’s debut season in the Darts Premier League has seen a huge influx of ticket sales for the event.
Littler gained a place in the eight-man competition thanks to reaching the final of the World Championship in his debut campaign, reaching the final before losing to Luke Humphries.
The 17-year-old has taken the sport by storm, bursting onto the scene when he beat the likes of Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on his way to second place at the World Championships at the age of 16.
In his first tournament since rising up the rankings, Littler elevated the Bahrain Darts masters, beating all seven Premier League competitors to lift the trophy after also hitting a nine-dart finish on the final day of the competition beaten, before coming in second. to Michael van Gerwen in the Dutch Masters.
Through Viagogo, Littler’s success has more than doubled interest in the competition, with the player everyone wants to see in action pushing the sport into a new dimension.
Luke Littler’s debut season in the Premier League Darts has seen ticket sales for the final more than double
Littler shot to fame after reaching the World Championship final earlier this year
He went on to win the Bahrain Darts Masters and beat all seven of his Premier League opponents in his next competition
While the Premier League kicks off on Thursday and will run for several months, ticket sales for the final at the O2 Arena in May are up 204 percent compared to the same time last year.
Meanwhile, the competition kicks off in Cardiff and the average price of tickets has risen by 20 per cent to £91, while overall competition ticket prices have risen by an average of 11 per cent to £83.
Although tickets for the final have already been sold for £44, Viagogo has urged darts fans to wait until the demand is resolved so they can get their hands on cheaper tickets.
Commenting on the sale, Cris Miller, Global Managing Director of Viagogo, said: ‘Luke Littler has captured the imagination of a whole new generation of darts fans and, despite his young age, is already the biggest ticket in the darts world.
‘It is clear that his participation in the World Cup and his remarkable performances since then have played a crucial role in driving this increased interest in the Premier League season.
“Viagogo exists to safely connect fans to live events and ensure every seat is sold. Darts consistently ranks in our top 10 most in-demand sports in the UK and this ranking is only set to rise with ‘The Littler Effect’.
“Given his age and immense talent, fans see him make history almost every time he lines up.”
The 17-year-old will face Luke Humphries (left) in a rematch of the World Cup final in his first match in the competition
Tickets for the opening night in Cardiff on Thursday cost an average of £91
Littler will kick off their Premier League campaign with a match against world champions Humphries, with the knockout format set to continue this year.
However, it does mean that one of the World Championship finalists will fall at the first hurdle, although seventeen weeks of competition means there will be plenty of time to make up ground.