"A trip to the iconic Ally Pally is like a pilgrimage in the eyes of the fans" - Matt Porter calms talk of moving PDC World Darts Championship

Darts has become extremely popular all across the world in recent years. That raises the question of whether more tournaments should be held outside the United Kingdom. And if the Alexandra Palace has become too small for the yearly PDC World Darts Championship?

Today's stars in darts are younger and younger, just look at Luke Littler. So darts is no longer an old man's game. "My favourite information. That graph goes down every year, the world's top players are getting younger. Even I am quietly feeling old," laughs PDC CEO Matt Porter in conversation with HLN. "The players increasingly fit the profile of a traditional athlete, in terms of age and behaviour. Very different from previous decades. Popularity and money have made the sport more professional." 

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The PDC World Darts Championship has been held at Alexandra Palace every year since 2008. But the question is growing whether the iconic London venue, with a capacity of some 3,200 seats, may now be too small to host the annual darting bonanza. "The tickets sold out in an hour. That's a nice headline, but at the same time you have a lot of disappointed people," Porter admits. "We are looking for solutions, from more sessions to a different venue. But ultimately it's about balance. We don't want the venue to be packed with 10,000 people on a Friday night, but barely 500 people sitting there on Tuesday afternoon."

"At the 'Ally Pally,' every session feels like a weekend night. That's the beauty of it," he continues. "A trip to the iconic 'Ally Pally' is like a pilgrimage in the eyes of the fans. It's part of the experience. The walk uphill, the beautiful building.... Our sport is built around personalities and atmosphere, we have to cherish that."

Matt Porter

On the topic of having majors outside the UK, Porter urges patience. "All in good time," he smiles. "Look at Wieze and Antwerp. When you see how the European Tours in Belgium have grown in recent years, you have to look for additional opportunities. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are also success stories, the gate to Eastern Europe is gradually opening. But the sporting and commercial picture must be right. Better to take our time than to rush things."

Finally, Porter pokes fun at Luke Littler, who is widely credited as being the driving force behind darts' recent popularity boom. "Luke is a phenomenon. He's someone you only see once or twice in a lifetime. Darts was growing, but Luke has opened doors that were always closed before. New media, digital content, new age groups," he concludes. "When I take my seven-year-old son to school, everyone in his class knows who Luke Littler is. More so than some football players. Everyone wants to be him. He's just a nice, young kid."

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