Target Darts, the company that first signed Luke Littler at the age of 12, has seen its revenues climb from £17 million to £106.5 million in just four years, according to figures reported by The Times. The world number one signed a new 10-year deal with Target in January reportedly worth £20 million, with the manufacturer also acting as his management team. Littler has since continued to dominate on the oche, winning every PDC major staged so far in 2026 and successfully defending the World Matchplay last month.
That combination of sporting success and commercial growth comes against a wider boom for darts. Last year's World Championship generated 51.2 million viewing hours in the UK, the highest figure recorded by a non-football audience, while the tournament's total prize fund has climbed from £1 million in 2010 to £5 million in 2026. Target is already looking beyond Littler, with Beau Greaves, Charlie Manby and 15-year-old Scottish prospect Mitchell Lawrie among the younger players under contract.
CEO James Tattersall believes the sport now has to match its rapid growth by becoming more professional, more technologically connected and more international. "Now is the time to professionalise the sport - a dedicated performance coach working directly with our players, a nutritionist supporting the physical demands of competition, a sports psychologist helping players perform consistently under the pressure of live crowds, television cameras, and major titles," Tattersall told ESPN. "This isn't a traditional endorsement model; it's a support system that helps players perform at their best."
Target's Omni system is part of that push, with alternative games including 'Board is Lava', 'Battlesplash' and 'Alien Invasion' designed to sit alongside traditional 501. "For us, the future of darts has always been about looking beyond the board," Tattersall said. "In the same way Spotify connected music and Strava connected running, we believe a connected ecosystem will transform participation in darts." Target has also partnered with Powerleague, placing dartboards inside five-a-side football venues as it looks for players and customers beyond traditional pubs and clubs.
Around 45 per cent of PDC events now take place outside the UK, compared with 27 per cent a decade ago, and Target sees Germany, North America and China as three of its biggest opportunities. Target employs more than 300 people in China, says sales have doubled year-on-year for the past three years and has opened an academy in Shanghai. "In China, it's a completely new concept," Tattersall said. "They're crying out for someone to tell them how we teach the kids to play darts." The price of tungsten, the dense metal used in most high-end barrels, rose sharply this year and forced manufacturers to react quickly. Target has since adjusted prices again as raw-material costs eased, but Tattersall says the longer-term focus is on reducing waste and making production more efficient.
