Darts ready to become more than just a festive favourite

With darts growing in popularity over the festive period, Jack Rathborn wonders how much more the sport can grow into 2022 and beyond

Alexandra Palace hosts the William Hill World Darts Championship (Getty)

As football staggers onwards over the festive period despite Covid-enforced postponements, darts looks set to seize its opportunity to continue its rapid rise and growth in popularity. The PDC World Championship has long-since muscled in on the festive calendar for British sport fans, but the sport is now evolving further.

With Phil Taylor’s vice-like grip on the sport far in the rearview mirror, a more engrossing spectacle has emerged with greater diversity among the field of players with an unpredictable edge to games throughout tournaments.

That last aspect is crucial, too, despite the sport perfectly suited to analytics, there have been numerous upsets at the Ally Pally this year as averages and check out percentages yo-yo from set to set.