From Darts to Hearts
Luke Littler’s historic victory at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship captured the nation’s imagination and set a high bar for sporting moments for 2025 - just days into the New Year. Having come to prominence for his incredible run to the final last year, the sport’s new sensation won a final that was watched by millions of people and drew worldwide attention.
Such heightened attention on darts has created a new sporting star in Littler. However, the tournament had a substantial impact in another way – it helped to encourage 180,000 men to get checked through Paddy Power’s ‘BIGGER 180’ campaign with Prostate Cancer UK. Now in its second year, this campaign is the latest example of how Flutter’s UK and Irish (UKI) brands leverage their marketing prowess to support the company’s broader pledge to positively impact the lives of 10m people worldwide by 2030. This initiative is part of the ‘Do More’ pillar of Flutter’s global sustainability strategy, the Positive Impact Plan.
Last year, Flutter’s three main sportsbooks – Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming and Betfair – all delivered campaigns that had sporting action at their core, but social purpose running through them. Whether it be the number of 180s in the darts, goals scored during the English Football League (EFL) Playoffs, or winners ridden during the jumps season in horse-racing, each brand had a funding mechanism linked to the pure excitement of sport.
As a result, all three campaigns have achieved incredible reach, positively energized the teams and ambassadors involved, been fully embraced by charitable partners, and delivered significant results.
Every Minute Matters
Kevin Brain, Head of Content and Social at Sky Bet, remembers the moment fondly. Last May, his team eagerly awaited the launch of the brand’s ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign with the British Heart Foundation. The groundbreaking partnership will see Sky Bet donate up to £3m to the charity through a number of goal-related and other mechanics linked to its sponsorship of the English Football League during the 2024-2025 season. Additionally, the campaign aims to encourage 270,000 people to learn life-saving CPR – equivalent to three Wembley Stadiums.
Conveniently, the historic venue was where the launch took place.
“Lining up at Wembley alongside a squad of life savers and icons, many of whom had survived cardiac arrest, was a deeply memorable moment, even more so because it was just a few months before that when the idea to work with the British Heart Foundation had been born,” says Kevin. “The stadium is so vast that it really brought home the scale of what we’re trying to achieve and the amount of people we needed to reach.”
The year-long campaign is just over halfway through but has already encouraged 150,000 people to use the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Reviv R’ online tool, which teaches essential CPR skills in as short as 15 minutes.
While Kevin is incredibly proud of the campaign's reach and “sense of collective achievement” across Sky Bet, he also believes it shows how Flutter UKI is standing by its commitment to making a wider impact through its links with sport.
Rewarding Experiences
The charitable partnerships are also proving to be hugely rewarding experiences for the brand teams and the ambassadors who work on them.
Betfair Brand Manager Lauren Hayhoe is someone who feels this way, having worked on its ‘Serial Winners’ campaign. Partnering with Rachel Blackmore, a Betfair Ambassador, the campaign raised £250,000 for the Injured Jockey’s Fund in the UK and Ireland, most of which was based on the number of winners the history-making jockey rode during the 2024 Jumps season, which included kick-starting the Cheltenham Festival with a famous win atop of Slade Steel.
“It’s been an incredible experience getting to hear firsthand how these funds are supporting those that need it,” explains Lauren, who had the opportunity to engage directly with the injured recipients. “It is clear to see that a donation of this size is truly impactful, and that makes the work we’ve done behind the scenes even more meaningful,” she adds.
Similar to ‘Every Minute Matters’, Betfair’s campaign was rooted in personal experiences. Blackmore had a serious injury herself late last year and personally knows others impacted, which further showed how important the charity is for the sport of horseracing. Given the partnership was “one that meant a lot to Rachael,” Lauren believes this allowed the brand to produce “authentic content that enabled us to raise awareness of the charities beyond the traditional racing audience.”
This brings us back to the ‘BIGGER 180’, which successfully raised over £1m for Prostate Cancer UK through a funding mechanic connected to the number of 180s thrown by the darts players during the World Championship – with a bonus for nine-dart finishes.
The money will help fund Prostate Cancer UK’s Transform project to develop a national cancer screening program for men, of which Paddy Power is now a founding partner. But even more significant, encouraging tens of thousands of men to use the charity’s online risk-checker, the BIGGER 180 campaign is almost sure to have helped uncover previously undiagnosed cancers. This was case with Barry Hearn, President of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), who said the awareness campaign had given him the "nudge" to see a doctor that led to a successful operation.
According to Chiara De Biase, Director of Health Services, Equity & Improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, the campaign has had “an enormous impact in making men aware of their risk of prostate cancer, and what they can do about it” which is crucial given the disease often has no symptoms in its earlier, more treatable stages. As Olympic cyclist and campaign ambassador Sir Chris Hoy pointed out, the campaign will “save lives.”
Such a strong and public endorsement of Paddy Power’s ability to drive positive societal change is something that Jack Wilson, Head of Content and Channels, is particularly proud of. “Seeing the campaign inspire thousands of people to check their risk was especially gratifying,” says Jack, pointing out that it would not have been possible without the work of “many hugely talented colleagues across the brand and their close collaboration with Prostate Cancer UK.”
Combining all three initiatives, Flutter UKI’s sportsbooks contributed over £2m to their charitable partners over the last twelve months. Additionally, its gaming brand, PokerStars, donated £210,000 as part of a long-standing partnership with Missing People, which is dedicated to safely returning those that go missing to their families, and £150,000 to Right To Play UK, which aims to unlock children's power and potential through play.
Beyond these financial contributions, Flutter’s campaigns in the UK and Ireland have galvanized local communities to take proactive actions, particularly regarding their well-being. Reflecting on the power of raising awareness of a lesser-spoken-about health issue, Paddy Power’s Jack reiterates how important it’s been to have thousands of men access the online risk checker for prostate cancer. “Quite simply, it’s been a lifesaver,” he says with pride.
It is a powerful message, yet by intertwining sporting events with charitable initiatives, Flutter is setting a new standard for sporting partnerships that extends far beyond the playing field to communities that need support and causes that deserve greater attention.
Chris Hoy on The Bigger 180
