Darts supremo Barry Hearn has declared that even the Royal Family must cough up cash to witness the World Darts Championship action at Ally Pally. The darts chief revealed he receives requests for complimentary tickets from royalty alongside Premier League footballers earning £300,000 a week who attempt to “ponce” off him.
However, he refuses to be impressed by their celebrity status and stated: “I make ’em all pay. You want to go to the darts? Give me and the sport the respect it deserves or I’ll see you later… maybe next Tuesday.” His remarks emerge ahead of Thursday’s World Championship launch, where the victor will pocket £1million – twice last year’s prize money.
The 77-year-old Professional Darts Corporation president explained: “I’ll get that prize money up to £100m if I live long enough.”
He also believes he could extract £20m from the Saudis to stage the darts. But he conceded it’s “not going to be a good event” because “they aren’t ready yet.”
And he added: “We aren’t existing in a goldfish bowl any more. We’re seeing kids show up from all over. I saw a kid the other day, he’s the Mongolian champion. F*** me, he’s good.
“We’ve got a Premier League in Australia going, we’ve got one in China going, we’ve got one in the USA starting next year.
“My recurring nightmare is that we’ll end up with a young Chinese player who has a nine-darter every time he throws and it just kills the game stone dead. It does get me thinking sometimes if I’ve taken things too far.”
Luke Littler is the favourite to win the 2026 World Darts Championship after thumping Michael van Gerwen in last season’s final at the age of 17.
The Nuke reached the final during his maiden appearance at Ally Pally two years ago when he was still only 16 but fell at the final hurdle as he was beaten by Luke Humphries.
And he will begin his title defence on Thursday evening when he takes on Lithuanian world No. 95 Darius Labanauskas.
“I’m very happy with it,” Littler explained last month as he discussed his draw. “He’s not the quickest player, but it’s all about getting past that first round. It won’t be easy.
“If there is nerves, I know how to cope with them. Last year, I didn’t have a clue how to cope with them. But this year I know what to expect, the expectations. If nerves come, I’ll know how to deal with it.”