17-year-old was also the most googled athlete in the UK this year.
- Littler to wear Xbox logo on playing shirt during World Darts Championship
- ‘The Nuke’ tipped by PDC president to take darts to “another level” commercially
Luke Littler has partnered with Xbox ahead of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship, cementing the teenage sensation as the sport’s biggest draw.
The agreement will see Littler, who is an avid gamer, sport the Xbox logo on his playing shirt during the tournament at Alexandra Palace, which starts on 15th December.
Partnership activations include prize giveaways, with Xbox to dole out various rewards for every 180, nine dart finish or victory notched up by Littler.
“I’m looking forward to partnering with Xbox and bringing two of my biggest passions together – darts and gaming,” said Littler.
“I hope I can provide fans with as many rewards as possible through my performances at the PDC World Darts Championship and help them score more with Xbox.”
Samuel Bateman, Xbox gaming marketing lead for the UK and Ireland, added: “As a huge Xbox fan, it only made sense for us to team up with Luke and celebrate his love for gaming in a way that felt authentic.
“We’re wishing him every success in the upcoming PDC World Darts Championship and encourage fans in the UK to keep their eyes on Xbox UK socials to be in with a chance of winning some awesome prizes, all thanks to his extraordinary performances.”
In other darts sponsorship news, the PDC has announced online used car retailer Cinch as an official partner of the 2025 Premier League Darts season.
As part of the deal, the Cinch logo will be visible on the Premier League Darts stage and feature prominently on the shirt sleeve of all players and officials throughout the competition.
The pact adds to several other sponsorships signed by the PDC in recent weeks, including adding Vanquis as its official banking partner, securing Foster’s as the official beer of its events and naming Uber Eats as its official food delivery partner.
SportsPro says…
The ‘Luke Littler effect’ has been discussed ad nauseam since the 17-year-old’s stunning run to last year’s World Darts Championship final. Still, with this year’s tournament getting underway on Sunday, it is worth taking stock of ‘The Nuke’s’ impact on the sport so far.
A peak audience of 3.71 million viewers tuned in for the final of the 2024 World Darts Championship on Sky Sports, making it the highest-ever non-soccer audience on record for the broadcaster, exceeding the viewership for the likes of The Ashes and Ryder Cup.
Since then, Littler has enlisted Soapbox London, whose clients include heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, to handle his PR. His appeal, which stems from an incredible natural talent combined with a down to earth personality, is bringing new audiences to darts and made him a household name. He was also the third most googled person in the UK this year, behind only Kate Middleton and Donald Trump.
It is little wonder that PDC president Barry Hearn is confident Littler can take darts to “another level in the stratosphere”.
Major title triumphs in the Premier League Darts and Grand Slam of Darts suggest the Littler era is only just beginning. There have even been murmurings that Sky will have to fork out more to retain its rights to PDC events amid a surge in the sport’s popularity.
In his short career, Littler has already been able to cut across the major news and cultural agenda. If he keeps doing that, then he’s not yet got close to reaching his commercial ceiling.
Credit: https://www.sportspro.com/news/luke-littler-xbox-pdc-world-darts-championship-december-2024/