Luke Littler earned £1m for winning the World Darts Championship on Saturday night but champions in the near future can expect to land even more cash.
The 18-year-old thrashed Gian van Veen 7-1 at Alexandra Palace to defend his title and lift the Sid Waddell Trophy for a second time.
The world number one has now reached the World Championship final in all three editions he has played in, winning twice, as his incredible dominance of the sport continues.
Partly down to his emergence as a superstar, the prize money has vastly increased this year, with Littler winning £500,000 at Ally Pally in 2025 and £1m in ’26.
Van Veen pocked £400,000 for his run to the final, double what Michael van Gerwen won a year ago when he fell short in the showpiece against Littler.
Matchroom Sport president Hearn says the huge boost to prize money will not stop here, setting a massive target of £5m to the winner of the World Championship in 10 years.
‘I look at darts now and I think, OK, we’ve done well — £25million prize money, £1m for the winner,’ Hearn told The Sun.
‘So the next target is to get to £100m prize money with £5m to the winner.
‘I think in ten years we’ll get to £100m. I don’t think there’s any limit because I believe we really are the working-man’s golf.’
‘We have no limits’
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) signed a new contract with Sky Sports in February 2025 which runs until 2030 and is worth £125m.
That £25m-a-year contract is more than double the previous deal which was worth £12m-a-year to show certain PDC events.
Hearn added: ‘We’re beginning to be recognised as a major sport that’s delivering good audiences, readership, whatever criteria you want to judge it on. So we have no limits.
‘Darts is not something that people any longer look down their noses at. Fat guys who smoke and drink on stage was 25 years ago.
‘Today, these people . . . their dream is to become a darts professional in the same way as other kids want to be a professional footballer or a boxer or whatever.’
Littler lost the first set of the game against the Dutchman before reeling off seven on the bounce, finishing with a stunning average of 106.
‘It is absolutely life-changing’
Landing the whopping winner’s cheque not only boosts his bank balance, but sees him nail down the world number one spot for the foreseeable future.
‘To win a million pounds – it is absolutely life-changing, and this win increases the gap between myself and Luke Humphries, so I’m further clear now as world number one,’ he said.
‘This is very special, but I’ve got to keep going. I want to keep adding more titles. I can’t stop here; I’m still on this rollercoaster!’
