PDC Darts 2024: who is darts prodigy Luke “The Nuke” Littler and how to watch his next match live on TV

The world of darts has a new name emerging through its ranks to kick off the new year, with Luke Littler, the 16-year-old Runcorn local, scheduled to take on world number 28 Brendan Dolan later today at the PDC World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace. Littler made his debut at the PDC World Darts Championship, which began in December 2023, winning his first-round match against former world champion Christian Kist with a score of 3-0. 

Littler also set two records, one for the highest average for a debutant at the World Darts Championship with a score of 106.12 and another for being the youngest winner. In the second round, he defeated Andrew Gilding, the 2023 UK Open champion, with a score of 3-1. In the third round, he won against Matt Campbell with a score of 4-1. In the fourth round, he beat Raymond Van Barneveld, a four-time world champion, with a score of 4-1, which helped him secure his first PDC major quarterfinal.

It’s a meteoric rise for Littler, who before joining the senior competitions cut his teeth in several youth tournaments and joining “Elite 1,” who work closely with academies allowing them to provide free equipment and support to help young players grow within their areas and offer more opportunities.

It has been anything but a walk in the park for the teenage darts sensation though, and very much a testament to practice, practice, practice, with a little bit of natural talent thrown in for good measure. So who is Luke Littler, and how can you watch his historic quarter-final contest later today?

Who is Luke Littler?

Born in Runcorn, Cheshire on January 21 2007, Littler made waves in the sport at a young age, showcasing impressive averages and securing various youth titles. Notably, in 2019, he emerged victorious in the England Youth Grand Prix and the Isle of Man Masters youth competition. His prowess continued into 2020, successfully defending his title at the Isle of Man Masters youth competition and claiming two titles on the 2020 JDC tour.

As part of the "Elite1" partners program organised by Target, Littler demonstrated his skill by winning the youth title at the England Open in September 2021 and finishing as the runner-up in the British Pentathlon. In November 2021, he achieved a significant milestone by winning his first senior title at the Irish Open, defeating Barry Copeland 6–2 in legs, subsequently earning a spot in the 2022 WDF World Darts Championship at just 14 years old. During the JDC MVG Masters tournament in November, Littler further showcased his talent by hitting a nine-dart finish.

2022 marked a series of victories for Littler, including the JDC Super 16, the Isle Of Man Open youth competition, and the Romanian Classic, where he triumphed over Jelle Klaasen in the final. At the 2022 WDF Europe Cup Youth, Littler secured gold medals in three men's competitions (singles, team, and overall), delivering a standout performance in the singles competition by defeating Archie Self 6–1 in legs.

Selected by the national federation to participate in the 2022 WDF Europe Cup, Littler played a pivotal role in England's success, contributing to a gold medal in the team competition. The end of 2022 saw Littler clinch the JDC World Darts Championship in London, defeating Harry Gregory by 5–0 in legs.

In 2023, Littler continued to assert his dominance, winning the MODUS Super Series in May by defeating Jacob Taylor 4–1 in the final. His success persisted in August when he secured his second MODUS Super Series title, defeating Colin Osborne by 4 legs to 2 in the final. November 2023 witnessed Littler's triumph in the 2023 PDC World Youth Championship, where he emerged victorious in a hard-fought final against Gian van Veen, concluding with a scoreline of 6–4.

Where can I watch Luke Littler’s quarter-final match in the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship?

Luke Littler’s quarter-final showdown against Brendan Dolan takes place as part of the first two quarterfinals at Alexandra Palace, scheduled to take place from 12.30pm on New Year’s Day (January 1 2024.) Live coverage of the match alongside the rest of the live play from the PDC World Darts Championship can be viewed on Sky Sports Darts (subscription required).