Luke Littler’s fairytale run captured the imagination of the nation, but what’s next for darts?……

The storyline of the tournament was undoubtedly 16-year-old teenage sensation Luke Littler and his run to the final – where he lost 7-4 to Luke Humphries on Wednesday night – which saw the sport break into the mainstream conscious.

But what does the future hold for the sport at a professional and recreational level? Mail Sport takes a look at what lies in wait for all things arrows-related.

Yet, the story of the tournament was 16-year-old finalist Luke Littler who won many hearts

The last contract was signed in 2017 and, naturally, the PDC want improved terms in line with the popularity of their product.

Sky’s viewing figures have shown that the action at Alexandra Palace has been rivalling the audience they attract for live Premier League games.

With darts fever sweeping the nation, a peak audience of 3.71m watched Luke ‘Cool Hand’ Humphries claim his first ever World Darts Championship title, a 143 per cent increase on the 2023 final – famed for Wayne Mardle’s iconic ‘I can’t spake’ commentary of Michael Smith’s nine-darter.

The record figure represents the highest ever non-football peak on Sky Sports too.

Interest in runner-up Littler has brought a raft of new viewers to the sport, with the 16-year-old’s semi-final against Rob Cross the first event to break records.

Over 2.3m fans tuned in to watch the teenager beat Cross 6-2 in his penultimate match, which saw him make history as the youngest-ever finalist at the tournament.

Gone are the days when to forge a career in darts, you needed to be old enough to enter a pub, and Luke Littler has inspired a nation of youngsters to have a go for themselves.

Steve Brown oversees the Junior Darts Corporation and has set up academies worldwide, from across Britain to China, Australia and the United States.

Children start with a white shirt and, as in martial arts, build their way up to black. Littler’s sudden stardom has seen the JDC inundated with parents who want to know where they can send their kids can play.

Such is the demand, we are bound to see more academies opened, as darts is no longer restricted to smoke-filled, beer-soaked taprooms.