‘It’s at the front of our minds’ says PDC chief in hint at major change to World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace
TICKETS for this year’s World Championship at Alexandra Palace sold out in an hour.
There has been debate over whether the 3,200-capacity West Hall is big enough.
And PDC chief executive Matt Porter admits that changes are being planned in order to allow more fans to enjoy the event.
Darts bosses are desperate not to move away from the iconic venue, so an increased schedule is on the cards.
Porter told the Standard: “We knew it was going to sell out relatively quickly, but that was a phenomenal return.
“We were told by our ticket providers that the levels of demand were up there with what they see for Glastonbury.
“Increasing the size of the field is something that’s at the front of our minds at the moment.
“If we can increase the number of sessions, that will help us to satisfy demand.
“The logical progression is to go from 96 players to 128 players.
“It’s not a case of saying, ‘It’s broken, we need to fix it’. It’s a case of saying, ‘It’s big, how can we make it bigger?’”
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The rise of teenage phenom Luke Littler has done wonders for the sport.
And Porter has been delighted with the Premier League champion’s impact.
He added: “He’s been great for us in terms of opening new doors to a different demographic.
“He’s been on the Jonathan Ross show, he’s presented a BRIT award, he’s done a driving day with the Mercedes F1 team.
“Things that historically would have been difficult for darts to move into, he’s been able to take advantage of.
“It’s fantastic for him and for us.”
Inside Littler's massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title – which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May.
He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player.
He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
Littler is joining Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen in a Sky Sports documentary ahead of this year’s World Championship in December.
And Porter does not mind who gets their hand on the Sid Waddell Trophy.
He added: “The result is generally one of the least important things on their minds when people come to the event.
“For us, it’s all about delivering an experience people enjoy, remember and want to come back to.”