Historic 2023/24 World Championship final attracts record TV viewing figures

A record audience of 4.8m tuned in on Sky Sports to watch an epic World Darts Championship final between Luke Humphries and Luke Littler last night.

With darts fever sweeping the nation, a peak audience of 3.71m watched Humphries claim his first world title at Alexandra Palace, as he battled back from 4-2 down with five straight sets to deny teenage sensation Littler a fairy-tale ending to his dream debut run.

The record figure represents the highest ever non-football peak on Sky Sports, and marks a 143% increase on the 2023 final between Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen, which featured ‘the greatest leg’.

PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter said: “This year’s World Championship was record-breaking on every level and it’s fitting that its final reached the biggest audience in the history of the PDC and Sky darts.

“The two Lukes delivered an amazing contest that kept us all on the edge of our seats and finished off a thrilling and dramatic tournament in memorable fashion.

“The World Darts Championship is a staple part of Christmas viewing, delivering drama and suspense with every match and it sets up perfectly what is sure to be a phenomenal year for darts.”

Jonathan Licht, Sky Sports Managing Director, added: “Even more of the nation have fallen in love with the darts over the last few weeks and as a long-term partner of the PDC, we are thrilled that this most entertaining of sports is in the spotlight.

“Over 4.8m people tuned in to watch the remarkable final last night, making it the most watched non-football sports event ever on Sky and NOW.

“Our congratulations to both Lukes and to all the players who contributed to such a memorable World Championship. We can’t wait for the Premier League Darts to get started in February.”

As darts continues to explode in popularity, Sky Documentaries has announced the commission of an access-all-areas premium documentary series, which will follow the stories of the players beyond the oche and is due to be released later this year.

The series, which tracks the action from pre-tournament preparation to the final and beyond, follows up-and-coming hopefuls to top-seeded players, the families who support them to achieve their dreams, as well as those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to create this global phenomenon.

‘Darts’ is produced by the award-winning documentary production company Dorothy St Pictures for Sky, whose previous credits include Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story and Pamela, A Love Story.

The documentary will be co-produced by John Skipper’s US-based Meadowlark in conjunction with the PDC.