Family-run Matchroom sells minority stake to Bruin Capital

Bruin Capital has taken a minority equity interest in Brentwood, Essex-based Matchroom Holdings. The financial terms were not disclosed. The Hearn family will remain majority owners and continue to oversee the business, with Eddie Hearn OBE as Group Chairman and Barry Hearn as President. Bruin Capital will take a seat at Matchroom’s board of directors.

The origins of Matchroom Sport date back to the mid-1970s, when chartered accountant Barry Hearn became Chairman of Lucania Snooker Clubs, a UK chain of snooker halls, and developed an interest in the sport. In 1982, Matchroom Sport was formed in Romford, Essex. Throughout the 1990s, Matchroom started adding more diverse sports to its portfolio of events. Today, Matchroom operates as a holding company that oversees a group of sports rights, promotion and production businesses, and is one of the largest privately-held sports promotion and rights businesses in the world.

Its portfolio comprises the World Snooker Tour, Professional Darts Corporation, Matchroom Boxing, Matchroom Multi-Sport  and Matchroom Media.Events are predominantly staged in the UK and distributed internationally via broadcast and streaming partners. The company produces up to 2,500 hours of original programming each year. Matchroom also represents big names in boxing and darts, including Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Jaron Ennis and Jesse Rodriguez. The partnership with Bruin is expected to support Matchroom’s next phase of growth, especially in the US, where the company has begun expanding its presence.

Bruin Capital, founded in 2015 by George Pyne, is a global investment and operating platform focused on sports, media, marketing, entertainment, and related technology. Bruin is headquartered in White Plains, an inner suburb of New York City.