AN MP has said it will be ‘scandalous’ if the World Darts Championship final is not shown on free-to-air TV.

The final will feature Padgate’s 16-year-old Luke Littler, who takes on Luke Humphries this evening, Wednesday.

Sky Sports has received no offers from free-to-air broadcasters to screen the World Darts Championship final showdown, it is understood.

Luke ‘The Nuke’ can complete an incredible run to glory when he takes to the stage, and MPs have called on Sky to make the match available free to air.

However, no free-to-air broadcaster is understood to have come forward to ask Sky about the possibility of a deal since Littler’s semi-final win over Rob Cross on Tuesday night.

Channel 4 struck a deal with Sky to show the England men’s cricket team when they reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2022 and the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

It is understood the short turnaround between semi and final would have made scheduling difficult for any of the free-to-air broadcasters in this instance.

Jamie Stone, culture and sports spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said it would be ‘scandalous’ if the match was not on free-to-air television.

The match will be available as normal to Sky Sports subscribers or streamed contract-free via a Now TV day membership, which costs £11.99.

Littler’s astonishing run to the final has caught the public imagination and that has already been reflected in Sky’s viewing figures.

His semi-final against Cross averaged 1.79million viewers, with a peak of 2.32million.

That viewing peak was 165 per cent up on last year’s semi-final and 106 per cent higher than the previous semi-final record dating back to December 2017.

It is also 40 per cent up on the overall previous record (1.65million) for the 2015 final.

The peak viewing figure of 2.32million is understood to be in line with peak figures for live Premier League football coverage, Carabao Cup finals and Championship play-off matches.

Mr Stone said on Tuesday night: “The country is gripped by darts fever and the spectacle of a 16-year-old Brit becoming world champion.

“It would be scandalous for this historic game to be hidden away from millions of people. The final must be on free to air TV.

“If football, cricket and rugby world cup finals are free to air, then so should darts.

“Sky Sports should do the right thing and share coverage with the likes of the BBC or ITV. Ministers have the power to put pressure on them.”

The same broadcaster also did a deal with Amazon to screen Emma Raducanu’s US Open final victory in 2021.

A small number of top-level ‘listed’ sports events – such as the Olympics and the men’s and women’s football World Cups and Euros – must be shown live on free-to-air television, but there is no such requirement for any darts tournament.