BRAY CASHES IN ON LITTLER EFFECT
25/04/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Aaron Nijjar
DARTS legend Russ Bray is hitting the bullseye with a mobile app that’s earned him a whopping £30,000 in just one year — all thanks to Luke Littler.
“The Voice” of darts found himself fronting one of the most popular darts apps on Apple.
Littler’s rapid rise and mainstream appeal have helped propel darts to new audiences—and Bray, already a cult figure within the sport, is among those reaping the benefits.
Bray, 67, is one of the most recognisable figures in darts, having been a PDC referee since the 1990s.
His gravel-throated ‘One hundred and eighty!’ has become the soundtrack to countless World Championship nights at Ally Pally.
But it turns out his voice isn’t just gold on the stage — it’s earning him big bucks on smartphones too.
He told The Times: “A guy got hold of me from up north and asked if he could do a Russ Bray darts app
“I said: ‘How much is it going to cost me?’ He said: ‘Nothing. All you’ve got to do is record names and numbers.'”
The app, which lets users simulate official match scoring with Bray’s calls, quietly grew into a fan favourite.
Bray added: “So I did that and he set it all up. It’s become one of the most successful apps on Apple.
“I make £12-13,000 a year from that on average.
“And when you talk about the Luke Littler effect, last year I probably earned £30,000 from it. Luke Littler has brought darts to the fore.”
Five-time major winner Littler has triggered a youth boom in the sport, with a surge in TV audiences, ticket sales, and social media engagement.
And retired ref Bray is now seeing the rewards of a digital side hustle he never expected.
Bray has also cashed in on his increased fame by recording video messages for fans.
The Essex-man revealed: “I also still do the personalised video messages for Cameo. I’ve got four to do today.
“I get £37.50 per 30-second Cameo advert and have done £18,000’s worth.
“If it’s Mavis to Bert, wishing him a happy 50th birthday, I say: ‘Hello Bert, Russ Bray here.
“‘Mavis wants to wish you a happy 50th birthday.’ And I tell him to have a wonderful time on the day and good luck.”
