“Negativity sells more than positivity” - Matthew Edgar takes aim at clickbait and distortion in modern darts

In the modern world of darts, it is no longer just about trebles and doubles. The sport continues to grow, professionalise and reach a wider audience than ever before. But that rise has brought complications too.

In a candid conversation with Online Darts, former professional turned coach and analyst Matthew Edgar offered a clear-eyed assessment of where darts media currently stands, and he did not hold back.

Edgar now operates across multiple roles within the sport, and he is seeing its evolution up close. Not all of it, he admits, is positive. “The start of this year has been crazy. Coaching’s gone through the roof,” he explained.

Where coaching was once largely associated with beginners, Edgar now sees a shift across the board. Players at every level, from grassroots amateurs to professionals, are investing in improving their game.

That, in itself, says a lot about the current level of darts. Standards are higher than ever, and the margins are increasingly fine. For Edgar, it has also meant adjusting his own workload. “You may not see me as much out there doing the punditry side… I’ve just narrowed the other bits down a little bit because the backlog is mad. I’m still fully booked for a few months.”

The conversation soon turned to a recent media storm, sparked by content creator Charlie Murphy suggesting that Luke Humphries was not the current world number two, a comment that quickly escalated online.

Edgar followed the situation closely, not to join the debate, but to understand it. “One thing I’ll say straight away is I didn’t like how personal it got towards Charlie Murphy. There were a lot of personal, derogatory comments thrown his way for what was essentially just an opinion he had at the time.”

For Edgar, disagreement is part of the sport. Rankings, performances and form are constantly debated, and rightly so. “It’s okay to believe that… but that’s the point — you need those things to back up that argument.”

He points out that alternative views are common, with players like Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen often mentioned in similar discussions. The issue, in his view, is not the opinion itself, but how it is presented. “If you believe that, just back it up… and then you’ve opened a debate.”

For Edgar, the incident is not an isolated one. Instead, it reflects a wider trend within darts media, one he finds increasingly frustrating. “Clickbait is… a problem. Titles are written to get maximum reaction, not to reflect the truth.”

He believes comments are regularly taken out of context, reshaped or shortened in a way that changes their meaning entirely. “I might make a comment or a statement and it gets… recontextualised… and it’s like, that’s not what I was saying.”

That experience has shaped his advice to fans. “If you read a headline, before having the pile-on attitude, go watch the actual footage. Don’t let somebody else tell you about somebody else’s opinion.”

At the heart of the issue, Edgar believes, is a simple reality about modern media. “Negativity sells more than positivity.”

It is a dynamic seen across sport and entertainment, where controversy generates attention, engagement and ultimately revenue. Edgar understands why it happens, but he also warns about its long-term impact. “I think sometimes things are being promoted from a negative spin rather than what they are.”

For someone who values storytelling, that is where the line should be drawn. Edgar is not against debate, analysis or secondary content, far from it. But for him, those elements must remain grounded in reality. “I love stories… but let’s keep them factual and as they are.”

With darts enjoying unprecedented popularity, it would be easy to assume that this shift in media tone is simply a byproduct of the sport’s success. Edgar sees it differently. “It’s a byproduct of social media and monetisation, realistically.”

The sport’s biggest event, the World Championship, generates huge numbers, but only for a limited period each year. Outside of that window, content creators and media outlets are under pressure to find stories that attract attention. “Negativity sells, so people are trying to find a form of negativity… and that becomes the story.”

High-profile names, particularly Luke Littler, only amplify that effect. Mentioning them almost guarantees traction and, in turn, increases the temptation to shape narratives for impact rather than accuracy.

Edgar’s frustrations extend beyond clickbait headlines. He also takes issue with what he sees as lazy language in coverage. “What I hate is when they say ‘former world champion’.”

To him, that phrasing strips away important context. “Why can’t you give them the credit of the title they earned? Say ‘two-time world champion’, ‘2017 world champion’.”

It is a small detail, but one that matters, particularly for newer fans trying to understand the sport. “If you say ‘2024 world champion’, someone new instantly knows he’s a recent world champion. If you just say ‘former’, it just dumps it all in the past.”

Despite his concerns, Edgar remains optimistic about the future of darts. The sport is expanding, the standard continues to rise, and interest shows no signs of slowing.

But with that growth comes responsibility, particularly for those shaping its narrative. “I just want it to be done correctly… we don’t need to sensationalise everything. Let’s sell this on story.”

For fans, his message is just as clear. In an era of constant content and instant reaction, critical thinking matters more than ever. “Don’t let somebody else tell you about somebody else’s opinion… go watch it.”

Because only then, Edgar suggests, can you truly understand what is actually happening in the sport.