Why isn’t professional darts more popular outside the British Isles? As anyone who followed Luke Littler’s fairytale run to the final of the PDC World Championships can attest, it’s a sport of unparalleled tension, drama and skill, yet it remains mostly a British preoccupation. Clark Foster, London
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Readers reply
I am surprised. It is cheap to play and easy to learn. Maybe because our weather is so crap that there are fewer perceived distractions outdoors? And, of course, everything revolves around the pub. Not just drinking. Baby showers, family meals, meeting place. The one by me is used as the local playground as it has a treehouse, a slide and swings and is the closest public park for about five miles. catchytitled
Darts is growing across Europe, with a German semi-finalist last year and Belgian, Portuguese and Dutch trophy winners over the last couple of years. The difference at the moment seems to be the youth game; it seems to be much better developed in the UK, hence you get the Lukes et al coming through. TerenceOblong
Years ago, playing amateur snooker with my dad, we went to an away game at the local Conservative club. It was a really grand building with a huge portrait of Thatcher above the doorway to the bar. “Funny place to put the dartboard,’ said my dad. The look on the bartender’s face remains vivid. Lucifersamspooptray
Because it’s boring? yogainspain
A Google search surprised me with the fact that, as of 2022, 43 countries have competed in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt. Which inspires me to plead that we play darts, not war. RPOrlando
For quite some time, my husband and I were able to watch professional darts on our American cable TV. Although he had played locally at pubs and bars, I had little exposure other than a few games with him while we were out for drinks. Watching high-level darts on TV was exciting. We both watched regularly. For whatever financial reason, the cable channel stopped broadcasting darts – and we have missed it.
During the recent tournament, I looked up how to watch the matches here in the US. The only way I found was an absurdly priced Sky Sports subscription. I’d love to watch such great darts competition again, but the professional tournaments seem totally out of reach here in the US. Very disappointing! Sheila
Darts never really caught on beyond the UK (but they were miles better than Showaddywaddy). EddieChorepost
