#8: The legendary Boxing promoter BARRY HEARN, the lessons behind his global empire, and the business of sport today

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

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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