Drive to Survive backer buys stake in Hearns’ Matchroom empire Sport Business Bruin Capital, a backer of the maker of Drive to Survive and Bruno Fernandes’ agency, has bought a minority stake in multi-sport promoter Matchroom. No terms were disclosed but the deal will see the Hearn family continue to majority own and run the business, which generates most of its revenue from boxing, darts and snooker. [...]
Barry Hearn says ‘Saudi is a problem’ amid snooker shift Sport Business Snooker supremo Barry Hearn has admitted that “Saudi is a problem” amid reports of plans to move a lucrative event to fellow Gulf region Qatar. Saudi Arabia could be about to scale back its sporting empire due to conflict issues in the region, with LIV Golf’s long-term funding uncertain and other events potentially under review. [...]
Snooker World Championship to stay at The Crucible until at least 2045 Sport Business The Crucible will remain home to snooker’s World Championship until at least 2045 after an agreement was struck to expand the venue’s capacity. The championships will celebrate 50 years at The Crucible in 2027 but faced the threat of being moved to a larger venue overseas by the sport’s promoters Matchroom. Work will begin on [...]
Conor Benn switch to Dana White’s Zuffa branded ‘outrageous’ by Hearn February 23, 2026 Matchroom president Barry Hearn has called Conor Benn’s defection to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing stable “horrible” and “outrageous”. Benn announced his shock departure from Matchroom, which had promoted him throughout his 10-year professional career, on Friday. The move saw the son of former two-division world champion become the biggest signing yet for Zuffa Boxing, the [...]
World Darts Championship to leave Ally Pally’s West Hall next year December 4, 2025 The future of darts at Alexandra Palace has been resolved, with organisers of the World Darts Championship agreeing a new five-year contract to stay in north London. But the annual end-of-year jamboree is set to relocate from the venue’s West Hall to the Great Hall from next year, in a move that will help the [...]
Ricky Hatton: Lord Mayor’s City boxing gala postponed after star’s death September 18, 2025 Next month’s boxing gala in which Ricky Hatton was due to receive the Freedom of the City of London has been postponed following the much-loved British fighter’s death. Former world welterweight champion Hatton was found dead at home in his native Manchester on Sunday, aged 46. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances. Hatton, fellow [...]
The gloves are on! Lord Mayor and Ricky Hatton to appear at City boxing night July 24, 2025 The Lord Mayor of the City of London is swapping his robes for boxing gloves and stepping inside the ring for a celebration of the sport featuring former world champion Ricky Hatton and promoter extraordinaire Barry Hearn. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Alastair King, will take on a mystery American opponent in an exhibition bout to [...]
Will snooker really boom in China after Zhao Xintong’s landmark win? May 6, 2025 Predictions of a snooker boom in China following Zhao Xintong’s landmark World Championship victory may be more bluster than substance, say global sports business experts. Zhao’s stylish triumph at the Crucible on Monday made him the first Asian to win the title and raised expectations that the sport will rocket in popularity among China’s 1.6bn [...]
Hearn: We could ditch Ally Pally as World Darts Championship hosts November 19, 2024 Sports promotion guru Barry Hearn has said he is considering moving darts away from Ally Pally. The iconic London venue hosts the annual PDC World Darts Championship and sold 90,000 tickets for this year’s 16-day competition. But with the field increasing by 32 players to form a 128-player draw in time for a new TV [...]
Matchroom gets the Drive to Survive treatment in Netflix series August 21, 2024 Barry Hearn, Eddie Hearn and the Matchroom sports promotions empire are to feature in a new Netflix documentary series from the makers of Drive To Survive. The fly-on-the-wall show has a working title of Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen and is being produced by Box to Box, whose success has made them the go-to sports docs [...]