“If it’s not always the Luke Littler show, that would be brilliant” - Emma Paton keen to see world champion challenged in 2026

Luke Littler may be the dominant force in darts right now, but as the 2026 season begins to take shape, Emma Paton believes the sport is at its best when the world champion is being pushed. With a packed calendar ahead, new storylines emerging and fresh challengers gaining ground, the Sky Sports presenter sees the coming year as a chance for darts to move beyond a single-name narrative.

That sense of a season kicking into gear was clear as Paton attended the launch of the new Blade X dartboard in London, now confirmed as the official board for all PDC televised events.

“It’s a really exciting day, and you missed out the new partnership as well – a partnership extension for ten years,” Paton said in conversation with Online Darts. “So yeah, I’m really excited. Obviously, I’m a Winmau ambassador, so I couldn’t be happier to be here today. It feels like everything’s kicking off really: the partnership, the new Blade X board, which is getting sent to me very soon, and also the draw for our first major of the year.”

With the Winmau World Masters getting underway this week, followed closely by the start of the Premier League Darts, Paton admitted how quickly the sport has shifted from Alexandra Palace to a new campaign.

“It feels like it wasn’t long ago we were saying goodbye to each other at Ally Pally. But the Masters is taking place this week, getting underway on Thursday, with qualifiers on Wednesday,” she said, before adding: “How are we here already?”

Reflecting on the recent World Championship, Paton was emphatic about the impact of expanding the tournament to 128 players.

“It’s funny because I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect,” she explained. “We had 128 players and what was it, 13 days before the Christmas break, but it actually felt like it threw up more stories than ever.”

For Paton, the biggest change came in the opening rounds. “Everyone wanted to talk about those first-round stories. ‘Oh my God, David Munyua, how incredible was that?’ ‘Oh my God, Sakai, what a character.’ Nitin Kumar as well – another one. These were players that casual darts fans had never even heard of, and they really captured people’s imaginations.”

The format shift, she felt, gave the event a broader international feel. “It felt like the first round, with the expansion and more players involved, took the tournament in another direction this year.”

While the latter stages returned to familiar territory, with Luke Littler lifting the title, Paton acknowledged both the positives and the limitations of that conclusion. “It’s a shame the final was quite one-sided with Luke Littler winning the title, but I think it set things up really nicely for 2026, especially for Gian van Veen.”

Asked about the wider significance of Littler’s rise, Paton did not hesitate. “Oh, for sure,” she said. “This is one of the most dominant athletes in sport at the moment – not just in darts.”

Looking back on leaving Alexandra Palace earlier this year, she reflected on how quickly the story has evolved. “Two years earlier we’d had that fairytale run from Luke Littler, and none of us knew what was going to follow after that. And it’s just been remarkable.”

“He’s been a breath of fresh air for the sport, a genuinely dominant force, and a joy to watch,” Paton continued. “He’s just hoovering up titles.”

Even so, she believes the narrative should not become fixed. “I’m really interested to see how 2026 goes. A lot of people think he’ll just dominate again and pick up titles he hasn’t won yet, like the Masters this week. But others will have their say as well.”

One of the clearest signs of darts’ growth, Paton believes, is its increasing visibility across other sports.

“The interest in darts over the last two years has gone through the roof,” she said. “Football clubs have dartboards at their training grounds now. England take a dartboard away with them.”

That crossover is something she notices weekly in her broadcast work. “I’ll go into Soccer Saturday and the first question is, ‘When’s the Premier League getting underway?’ or ‘Littler is just too good, isn’t he?’ Every week people are talking about what happened in darts on the Thursday night.”

“It’s grabbed everyone across all the sports I work on,” she added.

While Littler remains the central figure, Paton sees signs that the competitive landscape is beginning to widen.

“Last year tennis almost mirrored darts,” she said. “You had Sinner and Alcaraz, and in darts it felt like the two Lukes were out on their own.”

That picture may now be changing. “That’s why it’s brilliant to see Gian van Veen making that breakthrough we all thought he could,” she said, pointing to his European Championship title and run to the World Championship final.

Michael van Gerwen’s early-season form has also stood out. “He looks confident, mentally and physically,” Paton noted. “If we can get more players pushing each other so it’s not always the Luke Littler show, that would be brilliant for the sport.”

Paton was equally positive about the progress being made in the women’s game, describing the presence of five women at the World Championship as a significant step.

“I’m even more excited after that match,” she said of Beau Greaves’ performance against Daryl Gurney. “It took that one big 144 finish from Daryl Gurney to completely change the match. She had better stats and won more legs. It was a brilliant performance.”

She expects Greaves to be an uncomfortable opponent throughout the year. “Players won’t want to draw her in floor tournaments or anywhere else. She looks at home on the big stage now.”

Paton also highlighted the return of Fallon Sherrock following health issues, the consistency of Lisa Ashton, and Gemma Hayter’s showing against Josh Rock. “There’s so much to look forward to, and the women are certainly something I’ll be keeping a close eye on this year.”

With the Premier League Darts about to begin, Paton is already embracing the demands of the road.

“I am so ready,” she said. “I love the Premier League – travelling around, seeing different venues.”

The addition of Antwerp to the schedule has particularly caught her attention. “Nearly 23,000 and almost sold out,” she said. “I didn’t know that.”

“Newcastle first,” Paton added, “and I’m just really looking forward to it as always.”