BARRY and Eddie Hearn are being followed around by Netflix cameras for a new documentary – and they claim nothing is off limits.
The production brains behind the worldwide success Drive to Survive – which covers Formula One shenanigans – are shadowing the UK’s leading sports promoters.
The show will be aired globally in June 2025 and focuses on the fortunes of the Essex-based empire that has fingers in different sporting, commercial and broadcasting pies.
Barry, 76, set up Matchroom Sport in 1982, the year after he celebrated protege Steve Davis winning the first of six world snooker championships at the Crucible.
Since then, he has made millions in boxing, pool and darts, the latter of which he has transformed into the second most-watched sport on Sky after football.
Eddie, 45, has since taken over the reins of the company and put aside a longstanding family grudge with boxing guru Frank Warren to hook up with oil-rich Saudi officials.
Speaking to SunSport after he completed his latest podcast episode, Barry said: “Everything is a completely open book. It’s going to be fun.
“But I’m frightened to have a bath, mate! Because I get up and go, ‘f***ing, who put this microphone on me?’
“The title is ‘Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen’. It’s going to go out to 500 million homes. They are spending millions and millions.
“The team that are doing it are the ones who did Drive to Survive, so they have a hard act to follow. But they are very excited about it.
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“You try to distance yourself from it. It’s a good story. We had Succession, which was almost a take-off of the Murdoch empire.
“Well, we are not at that level but it is a similar theme of an old geezer that starts off something, brings up kids in a different world to what he came from.
“It’s not a power struggle but there are definitely different influences throughout.
“But the company has grown bigger and bigger, it’s a global one rather than a British one. There are a lot of good stories.”
Barry added: “We asked ourselves: ‘Are we ready for this type of intrusion?
“We’ve never allowed anyone behind the scenes access at Matchroom. But we’re very proud to be a successful British company that has added to the sports world.
“We took the view that if it’s gonna be treated seriously enough and done properly, then now was the time.
“They are everywhere. Quite honestly, I’m seeing more of them than I’m seeing my wife and children lately.
“They followed me to Atlantic City for my entry at the US Open 9-Ball Pool.
“They’re attending board meetings and we are giving them unlimited access because we don’t want any excuses.
“We won’t be doing this with anyone else probably in our lifetime and we’re going to make sure it’s a series that is memorable and tells the truth at every level.
“We’re gonna give them a good story. There’ll be things in there that’ll shock and entertain people.”
The Barry Hearn Show is available on all podcast platforms – with exclusive video episodes on Spotify.
