German Darts Fans Bring Growing Enthusiasm and Complex Rivalries to PDC World Championship
Around a quarter of tickets for the PDC World Championship were sold to German fans in 2025, with some sessions attracting up to a third of their attendance. The growth of darts in Germany has been remarkable since the country's first entrant in 2005. Key milestones include the launch of the European Tour in 2012, the World Cup of Darts relocating to Hamburg and then Frankfurt, Berlin joining the Premier League in 2018, and Germany hosting seven out of 14 Euro Tour events.
Despite this growth, Germany has yet to produce a consistent world-class major challenger. Noteworthy German players include Gabriel Clemens, who reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championship, as well as Pietreczko, Niko Springer, and Martin Schindler, who have earned Euro Tour wins, though with limited success on larger stages.
Historically, English crowds have booed German players, creating a tense rivalry marked by mutual deterrence. This dynamic includes booing at German player walk-ons and during matches, as well as public comments from players regarding the challenging atmosphere. English player Luke Littler and others have experienced similar booing incidents in Germany; Littler notably boycotted German events for several months following a problematic outing in Munich.
The German audience’s growth can be attributed to shared entertainment values and the niche of winter scheduling, with commentators emphasizing that Germans enjoy the social aspect of sport, viewing darts events as a good night out. Supporting this, last year’s World Championship final drew around 3 million German viewers, roughly matching the UK Sky Sports audience.
