Around a quarter of all tickets for the PDC World Darts Championship have been sold to visitors from Germany, according to tournament organisers. For some sessions, the figure rises to as high as a third. German fans, known for their enthusiastic singing and colourful fancy dress, have become a fixture at Alexandra Palace, creating a friendly rivalry with their British counterparts.
The phenomenon is the result of years of investment by the Professional Darts Corporation. The European Tour, launched in 2012, now includes seven events in Germany. The Premier League added Berlin to its roster in 2018. Commentator Philip Brzezinski noted that Germans enjoy good sport and a good night out, mirroring the British audience. Sport1’s Katharina Kleinfeldt pointed out that the gap between Christmas and New Year, when the Bundesliga is on hiatus, has boosted viewership.
Darts is now Germany’s fastest-growing sport, according to the German Olympic Sports Confederation. Three million viewers watched the 2025 world championship final between Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler, matching UK figures. Despite this enthusiasm, Germany has yet to produce a world-class player. Gabriel Clemens’s semi-final run in 2023 is seen as an outlier, and players like Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko have struggled with hostile English crowds.
The German connection dates back to British military presence, but serious growth began in the 2000s. The first German entrant in the world championship was in 2005. Now, package excursions sell out months in advance. As commentator Brzezinski put it, the German public’s love of entertainment and sport has fuelled this darts revolution.
