Episode Synopsis
For 50 years, Barry Hearn has built an empire across some of the biggest sports on the planet. He is the owner of World Snooker and World Darts, and his business, Matchroom, has dominated Boxing for decades. In this podcast we discuss the fame formula, sports marketing, and business insights from someone at the centre of some of the biggest events in sporting history. As he retires we reflect on the rise of Barry Hearn to the KING of SPORT.
A Teaser of What We Discovered in this Video…
“If you want to make money being famous is more important than being good. That’s not a good sign for the long term.”
– Barry Hearn
Watch the Main Interview Video
Connect with Barry:
Show Notes:
- 2:30 – Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury?
- 5:40 – Relations between agent and fighter
- 10:46 – Marketing a boxer: Charisma, style, wit and a good right hook
- 15:49 – Where did Barry Hearn come from, and what were his motivations?
- 17:39 – Keys to success
- 20:00 – The need for equal opportunity
- 23:00 – Approaching different markets and different sports
- 28:00 – Ownership: The key basis for Matchroom Sports
- 31:00 – The European Super League; when ownership gets greedy
- 35:18 – Celebrity bouts; KSI vs Logan Paul and Thor vs Eddie Hall
- 38:15 – UFC
- 45:00 – ‘If you want to make money, being famous is more important than being good’
- 50:00 – Boxing has a lot of growth potential, and with Eddie, the future is bright
Further Resources:
- Matchroom Sports
- Barry’s interview on Eddie Hearn’s podcast
- Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz: Highlights
- Anthony Joshua vs Wladamir Klitschko: Highlights
- An evening with Barry Hearn at the University of East London
- Best Eddie Hearn quotes
- Profile on Barry: World Snooker
- Steve Davis and Barry Hearn: Snooker’s ‘old married couple’
- Sports entrepreneur extrordinaire – Daily Mail