PDC chief executive Matt Porter remains adamant that Alexandra Palace will remain as the venue for the World Darts Championship, despite the Luke Littler effect on the sport.
The 17-year-old has thrust darts into the mainstream consciousness following his breakthrough run to the final at Ally Pally over Christmas.
The PDC has reported a huge increase in viewing figures and engagement since Littler’s arrival on the scene and he is set to be the main attraction at the worlds later this year.
But not everyone will get a ticket for the north London venue, which has a 3,200 capacity and has hosted the tournament since 2008, as they sell out in July before even hitting general sale.
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Despite the likely demand, the PDC is not considering moving to a bigger venue and are in talks to extend its stay at Ally Pally beyond the 2024/25 edition.
“Ally Pally is an iconic venue, it is a beloved venue,” Porter said.
“The World Darts Championship at Ally Pally at Christmas, those three things go together in the same way Wimbledon, strawberries and cream and the summer fit together.
“There are certain aspects of major sporting events at venues, which just fit.
“It is a fantastic venue for the event, we bring a lot of infrastructure with us, in terms of the fan village, and not every venue can do that, there is way more to the Ally Pally than the arena where the darts is played.
“But you can never rule out anything going forward because the event is sold out in July even before it goes on general sale.
“It is a phenomenon and it is up to us to maximise the opportunity and the revenue for the players.
“You can’t rule it out but you don’t want to fix what is not broken.
“It is something that is under constant review but it would take something very special for us to leave Ally Pally.”
Littler has ‘opened the doors’ to a new audience
Littler has changed the landscape of the sport and is already a bigger celebrity than any other player past or present.
He was a guest on the Jonathan Ross Show, featured on the cover of Forbes magazine, appeared on Comic Relief and visited Manchester United’s training ground as his popularity soared.
But he is backing that up with his performances at the oche as he won debut titles in the World Series, Players Championship and European Tour while currently topping the Premier League table.
“These are things that wouldn’t happen to normal 17-year-olds, so for him to be able to deal with them as well as playing in front of thousands of people is testament to his mental strength and maturity,” Porter added.
“Luke has opened up doors to us to a new audience. There is an increase in younger fans, teenage-age and even younger who are now more interested in darts.
“That’s through TikTok and Instagram, or on TV.
“It’s quite refreshing, it is something we hadn’t expected but something we are reacting to quite well.”
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Where does the Premier League head next?
The Premier League continues with Night 13 at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool on Thursday, April 25, as Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price collide in the opening match of the night.
Reigning world champion Luke Humphries goes head-to-head with Nathan Aspinall, Michael van Gerwen will play Peter Wright for a place in the semi-finals, while Michael Smith and Rob Cross are also in action on Merseyside.
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Premier League Darts continues on Sky Sports on Thursday April 25 with Liverpool the next stop on the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday, May 23. Stream the darts and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
Source : Sky Sports
