Few players of any sport announce themselves to the world in such dramatic fashion, but that's exactly what England's Luke Littler did at the 2024 World Darts Championship. The Warrington-born teenager arrived as a first-time qualifier and took the competition by storm, beating several opponents over half his age to go all the way to the final.
The decider at Ally Pally proved to be a step too far for Littler, with his namesake Luke Humphries taking home the Sid Waddell trophy after a comeback victory. That defeat to the world number one still saw Littler push Humphries all the way, and he's wasted no time whatsoever in the intervening period.
Having picked up his first title of 2024 at the Bahrain Masters in January, Littler now heads to Cardiff for his debut in the Premier League — can he go one better over 17 weeks of world-class darts to shock the sporting world once again?
How old is Luke Littler?
Born in Prescot on January 21, 2007 (yes, that's two-thousand-and-SEVEN), Littler was raised in Warrington and has been throwing darts from an oche for as long as he can remember! Reported to have played with his first dartboard and set of magnetic flights at just 18-months-old, Littler was playing in under-21 leagues and competitions by the time he'd turned 10.
Playing under the banner of the World Darts Federation before turning pro in 2023, the then 16-year-old Littler cleaned house last year, winning the PDC World Youth Championship on top of the British and Isle of Man Classics, as well as the Gibraltar Open and British Open.
Those victories secured the now 17-year-old a spot at the World Darts Championship just a few months after collecting his GCSE results, and his journey to the final — which included beating former winners Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross along the way — earned the youngster celebrity status in the wider world of sport.
Luke Littler prize money, world ranking
Littler went into the World Darts Championship as a rank outsider placed 164th in the world rankings, but his sensational performances to reach the final — and victory in the Bahrain Open since — have seen him climb a whopping 133 places to 31st.
He's still the lowest ranked player by far of the eight competing for Premier League glory, with Scotsman Peter Wright heading into an 11th appearance at the tournament having dropped four places to eighth in January 2024.
Despite having only just turned 17, Littler has already racked up plenty of prize money both in the amateur and professional spheres of darts. His run to the 2024 WDC final netted him £200,000 alone, and combined with earnings in other tournaments leading into the Premier League, the teenager has earned over £262,500 in his fledgling career.
Luke Littler 2024 darts schedule
Littler didn't take long to get over the disappointment of his loss to Luke Humphries in the 2024 WDC decider, winning the Bahrain Masters just weeks later and notching a televised nine-darter in the process.
The next 17 weeks leading up to the end of May will be largely taken up by the Premier League Darts' calendar, and Littler will certainly be hoping he's well within contention come the final play-offs on Thursday, May 23 at London's O2 Arena.
He's arguably the most exciting player to watch in the PDC's ranks at the moment, and there's no doubt that we'll be seeing Littler go all guns blazing at all the major events throughout 2024.
Here's a selection of some of the major events Littler is set to play in this year.
Professional Darts Corporation 2024 Calendar
| Competition | Dates | Venue |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, February 1 | Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, February 8 | Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berling |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, February 15 | OVO Hydro, Glasgow |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, February 22 | Utilita Arena, Newcastle |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, February 29 | Westpoint Arena, Exeter |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, March 7 | Brighton Centre, Brighton |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, March 14 | Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, March 21 | 3Arena, Dublin |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, March 28 | SSE Arena, Belfast |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, April 4 | AO Arena, Manchester |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, April 11 | Utilita Arena, Birmingham |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, April 18 | Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, April 25 | M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, May 2 | P&J Live, Aberdeen |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, May 9 | First Direct Arena, Leeds |
| Premier League Darts | Thursday, May 16 | Utilita Arena, Sheffield |
| Premier League Play-Offs | Thursday, May 23 | The O2, London |
| UK Open | June 2024 | Butlins Minehead, Somerset |
| World Matchplay | July 2024 | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
| World Grand Prix | October 2024 | Morningside Arena, Leicester |
| European Championship | October 2024 | Westfalenhallen, Dortmund |
| Grand Slam of Darts | November 2024 | Aldersley Leisure Village, Aldersley |
| Players' Championship Finals | November 2024 | Butlins Minehead, Somerset |
| World Darts Championship | December 2024 / January 2025 | Alexandra Palace, London |
How to watch Luke Littler on TV, live stream
In the UK, the Premier League Darts will be shown across Sky Sports, ITV Sport and Viaplay, while PDCTV also provides live coverage and streaming for viewers in the UK, Ireland and Western Europe, costing £49.99 for a year or £4.99 monthly, while two and three-day passes can also be purchased from £3.99.
United Kingdom: Sky, ITV Sport and Viaplay will all be providing coverage of the various darts tournaments this year.
USA and Canada: DAZN is the go-to broadcaster for US and Canada-based darts fans to watch and catch up with all the action.
Australia: Fox Sports and Kayo Sports are the main rights holders for darts tournaments in Australia, as well as streaming the action live on Foxtel Go.
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