Liverpool Leads UK Sports Fans as Darts Surges with Luke Littler

New data from Flashscore highlights Liverpool as the most popular football club in the UK in 2025 while revealing darts as the fastest-growing sport among UK users.

The insights come from the annual Flashscore Yearbook, which analyzes billions of interactions across the platform’s app and website to identify trends in fan engagement, top teams, sports, events, and athletes.

Football Dominates, Liverpool on Top

Football remained the UK’s favorite sport, registering 5.9 billion views on Flashscore throughout 2025. Within the league, Liverpool emerged as the most-viewed team, accumulating over 5.3 million views, ahead of Manchester United (4.5M), Arsenal (4.3M), and Manchester City (3.2M).

Chelsea secured fifth place, while Newcastle United overtook Tottenham Hotspur, signaling a shift in fan attention and club momentum.

Notable match highlights include:

• Real Madrid vs Arsenal (Champions League) – 2.6M views
• Manchester United vs Burnley (Premier League) – 2.6M views, boosted by Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time winner

Darts Breaks Through with Luke Littler

Darts overtook tennis, golf, and basketball to become the UK’s second most popular sport, attracting nearly 275 million views across major tournaments.

• PDC World Championship led viewership, surpassing Premier League Darts.
• Luke Littler’s January victory over Michael van Gerwen drew 952,887 views, making it the year’s most-watched darts match.

The 19-year-old Littler emerged as the third most-viewed UK sportsperson, only behind football stars Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, and the only non-footballer in the top 20, showcasing his role in raising darts’ profile.

Broadening Fan Interests

Charlie Ford, UK Country Manager at Flashscore, highlighted the evolving sports landscape: “The Yearbook shows that while football remains dominant, fans’ interests are expanding. Liverpool’s engagement demonstrates consistent fan loyalty, while Newcastle’s rise reflects shifting attention. Darts’ growth, fueled by Luke Littler, proves the impact a breakout star can have on a sport’s popularity.”

The data underscores a diverse fanbase increasingly engaged across multiple sports, from traditional football to rising stars in darts.

What This Means for UK Sports

1. Liverpool Dominates Digital Engagement – Confirming their enduring popularity on and off the pitch.
2. Newcastle’s Momentum – Smaller clubs can disrupt traditional hierarchies with key performances.
3. Darts’ Growing Appeal – High-profile athletes like Littler attract younger, digitally engaged audiences.
4. Fan-Centric Insights – Platforms like Flashscore reveal real-time shifts in sports popularity.

The full Flashscore Yearbook 2025 provides a detailed look at these trends, highlighting the evolving preferences of UK sports fans.

The yearbook is available at canva.com/design/DAHBMseYWyc/YYOTdS56irp1FBspX2qodQ/view?utm_content=DAHBMseYWyc&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h844c3c447c

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The Battle of Polytopia Marks 10 Years with New Gameplay Mode and Major Updates

The Battle of Polytopia is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2026, as developer Midjiwan confirms a brand-new gameplay mode, additional features, and even a physical card game are on the way.

Originally launched on February 26, 2016, the award-winning strategy title has evolved from a single-player mobile passion project into a globally recognized indie success story with more than 25 million organic downloads and millions of monthly game sessions.

From Indie Passion Project to Global Strategy Hit

Created by Felix Ekenstam, founder of Midjiwan, The Battle of Polytopia began as a mobile-first strategy game inspired by classic PC and console titles but redesigned for touchscreen accessibility.

At launch, the game featured:

• iOS-only availability
• Single-player mode
• One gameplay format
• Five playable tribes

Over the past decade, the game has expanded significantly, now offering:

• Multiple unique Tribes including Cymanti
• Local and online multiplayer
• Leaderboards and weekly challenges
• Multiple game modes such as Domination
• Tribe skins and customization
• Releases on Android, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Nintendo Switch

This evolution transformed Polytopia into what Midjiwan now calls a “forever game,” emphasizing replayability, competitive play, and community-driven design.

Award-Winning Growth and Community Power

Over the last decade, Polytopia has earned industry recognition, including:

• Best Indie Developer at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Game Awards (2024)
• Best Community at the Gaming On Phone Awards (2025)

The game boasts:

• 270,000+ active fans
• 50,000+ Discord members
• 60,000+ Reddit members

The most popular tribes among players include Elyrion, Vengir, Cymanti, Kickoo, and Hoodrick, reflecting the strategic diversity that keeps the meta evolving.

From September to December 2025, Midjiwan hosted the Polytopia World Championships, a global esports event with a $10,000 prize pool and more than 10,000 participants — reinforcing the game’s competitive credibility.

10th Anniversary Celebrations Begin

To mark the milestone, Midjiwan has launched:

• A signed limited-edition 10-Year Anniversary poster via its official store
• The New Dawn Cymanti Skin on Nintendo Switch (already available on mobile)

The celebrations will continue throughout 2026, culminating in the reveal and launch of:

• A brand-new gameplay mode
• Additional in-game features
• A physical Polytopia card game

While details remain under wraps, the announcement signals continued innovation and franchise expansion beyond digital platforms.

Sustained Engagement and Replayability

Polytopia now sees:

• Millions of sessions played monthly
• Average player session times exceeding 5 hours

The game’s long-term success is widely attributed to its player-first philosophy — prioritizing creativity and community over aggressive monetization strategies.

According to studio leadership, the focus remains on quality gameplay, strategic depth, and meaningful community interaction.

Why Polytopia’s 10-Year Milestone Matters

In the mobile gaming industry — where lifecycle turnover is often rapid — sustaining a decade of organic growth is rare. Polytopia’s journey highlights several important trends:

1. Mobile-First Strategy Works – Deep strategy games can thrive on mobile platforms.
2. Community Drives Longevity – Strong Discord and Reddit ecosystems sustain engagement.
3. Indie Studios Can Scale Globally – Award recognition and esports tournaments validate long-term viability.
4. Platform Expansion Fuels Growth – Moving beyond iOS accelerated adoption and competitive legitimacy.

As Midjiwan prepares to reveal its new gameplay mode later this year, Polytopia enters its second decade positioned as one of the most resilient and community-driven mobile strategy franchises.

Similar coverage about games:

https://www.pocketgamer.com/the-battle-of-polytopia/feature-retrospective/

Pocket Gamer frequently publishes retrospectives and milestone coverage on successful mobile strategy games, including The Battle of Polytopia and other long-running indie titles.

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