Sky Sports will not be sharing the World Darts Championship final with free-to-air broadcasters despite a plea from Liberal Democrat Culture & Sports spokesperson Jamie Stone MP. Luke Humphries and 16-year-old Luke Littler are set to do battle at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday night with the nation watching on.
Littler, born in 2007, has undoubtedly been the story of the tournament so far. After knocking out former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross, the youngster now faces a clash with newly-crowned world No. 1 Humphries.
Ahead of a hugely-anticipated match-up, Stone wrote on X: “The country is gripped by darts fever and the spectacle of 16 yr old Luke Littler becoming a world champion. The final must be free to air on TV so that millions of Brits don’t lose out on this historic moment. Sky Sports should share the rights with the likes of BBC or ITV.”
Sky Sports have confirmed to Express Sport that they were not approached by any free-to-air channels to discuss sharing the rights to the final.
The broadcaster also responded to Stone’s concerns by pointing out that anyone in the country is able to watch the showpiece Ally Pally event by purchasing a NOW TV day pass. The final will therefore not be shown on BBC or ITV.
Littler’s semi-final win over Cross peaked at a staggering 2.32million viewers on Sky Sports, shattering the previous record set by Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor in the 2015 final.
“I was happy winning one game but I could go all the way. Rob is a world champion, he won on his debut same as me. I wanted to win my first-round game, that was it.
“I’ve just settled on that stage. It takes me a few legs to settle but once I’ve found that rhythm, I’m good to go. There’s no more development tour, I’m just happy to be in the top 32 and I could go even higher.”
