The Luke Littler phenomenon will hit Netflix on Friday. The streaming giant is giving 24 darts players an opportunity to beat the world champion in one leg, all for a cheque of £501,000 (€600,000).
As with everything in the social media age, critics have lined up to pick holes in the concept.
Initially, it was thought that it would give the average pub player a chance against Littler.
But the likes of Fallon Sherrock – a regular at Ally Pally – and Mitchell Lawrie, the Scottish teenage sensation, are among those chosen to face Littler in the Target Darts event.
As is Katie Sheldon, the Tallaght native, who has previous experience of facing him.
Katie Sheldon faced Littler once before – when she was 15 and Littler was only 12 years of age
Back in 2019, Sheldon was a 15-year-old who faced Littler, three years her junior, at a youth tournament in Killarney.
She is glad to be getting another shot at him.
‘It is great to get a chance like this against him. He’s a phenomenal player and has done so much for the sport. I am just glad to get the opportunity,’ said the Dubliner, who is now 22.
Sheldon’s already had great success in the sport, claiming a WDF World Cup with Ireland, and having beaten Sherrock on the way to a women’s world series final a few years ago.
She was introduced to the game as a nine-year-old when she started playing with a dartboard in her grandfather’s garden shed.
Littler will face challengers in a one-leg shootout on Netflix for a prize of £510,000 (€600,000)
‘My granddad had a board in his back garden and I asked my dad if we could get one, and he eventually agreed. And, from there, I just became obsessed with practice,’ said Sheldon.
Within a few years, Sheldon was starting to play in the local leagues, representing The Old Mill pub in Tallaght.
‘When my dad first brought me down, the owner thought it was him that wanted to be part of the team, but had to be told it was me.’
Her talent was clear from early on and she made a mark on the women’s tour, reaching as high as eighth on the order of merit.
And the Littler effect means that the world of darts in these days is a world away from what she first came into.
‘The growth has been incredible over the last few years. Now there are more young darts players playing than older ones, those under-18s. When I was in the academy when I was younger, there were around 12 of us, but now there are 50 or 60 really talented young players.
Fallon Sherrock, a fan favourite and regular at the Ally Pally, will also face Littler on Netflix
‘And everyone knows about darts now. When I was starting out, it was only the committed fans who knew about darts and all the players.
‘But now everyone talks to you about it, so many people are now interested in it, want to know about it, and that’s a great thing.’
Being on Netflix this Friday night means that even more people will become aware of Sheldon, but she is not daunted by the sheer scale of the viewership figures.
‘I have played on Sky Sports, have played in front of big audiences, so I have experience of that. This is just something I am looking forward to.
‘I want to progress in this sport, be the best I can be, and this is an opportunity to do that.’
When Sheldon heard about the challenge, she applied for the audition straight away, where contestants had to complete 501 in 24 darts or fewer to progress through.
‘I didn’t know if I would get it, I knew that I had done okay, but it was about if they thought you were good enough. But I got the call, which I am delighted about.’
It’s one leg, 501 points, and, given that Littler hasn’t been in the best of form recently, there is every chance that one of the competitors will do enough to claim the prize pot.
So why not Sheldon, who has already won a WDF World Cup team event for Ireland, and has beaten some big hitters, such as Sherrock, on the women’s tour?
Or maybe it will be NUI Galway student Pearse Mackle, who is another of the 24 players who will be taking on Littler.
Sheldon, who juggles a full-time job with her commitment to being a top-class darts player, is lucky enough to have a deal with Target, the darts company, which helps with costs of travelling to events on the PDC women’s tour.
Katie Sheldon, the 22-year-old who grew up in Tallaght, was introduced to darts aged nine when she started playing with a dartboard she discovered in her grandfather’s garden shed
And, with the likes of Sherrock, Beau Greaves, Lisa Ashton and Robin Byrne on board, the women’s tour is becoming even more competitive than ever before.
Sheldon is keen to make more of an impact this year when things get up and running.
Before that, she will be renewing acquaintances with Littler.
He is a long way from that 12-year-old she played down in Killarney.
Littler has changed the entire complexion of the sport – and this Friday night on Netflix will demonstrate how he’s bringing the game even further into the mainstream.
If Katie Sheldon is the one to beat Luke Littler, she might have to get used to a lot more people coming up to her and wanting to talk about darts.
