Netflix have launched a brand new sports documentary lifting the lid on the Matchroom dynasty with Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Luke Littler all featuring.
The streaming giant will premiere Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen worldwide on Wednesday, September 17, with cameras granted behind-the-scenes access to the Essex-based empire for the very first time.
The six-part series, made by the team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive and At Home With The Furys, promises high drama as it charts the rise of the powerhouse founded by Barry Hearn and now fronted by his son Eddie.
Sporting royalty including Joshua, Taylor, Littler, Conor Benn and snooker icon O’Sullivan all feature in the no-holds-barred series, which captures the bitter rivalries, blockbuster bouts and family tensions at the heart of the business.
In the official trailer, released today, fans get a taste of the drama surrounding huge events such as Benn vs Eubank Jr, Taylor vs Serrano II and Joshua’s clash with Daniel Dubois.
Barry Hearn, Matchroom’s 76-year-old founder, compared the saga to hit TV drama, admitting: ‘You’ve got me, the old, grey-haired geezer that started the company is used to getting his own way, and then the young son comes in, who is dynamic, and all the other kids as well, Frank Smith, Matt Porter and Emily Frazer. Do not miss it.’
Netflix have launched a brand new sports documentary lifting the lid on Matchroom dynasty
Both Barry and Eddie Hearn feature in the show that provides behind-the-scenes access
Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Luke Littler all feature in the documentary
While Eddie Hearn added: ‘This is a big day for our company and we are very proud to showcase our story to a global audience on Netflix.
‘It’s ‘Succession’ meets ‘Drive to Survive’ as we bring you an unprecedented look at the up-close-and-personal drama from the biggest and best live events on the planet across Boxing, Darts, Snooker and Multi Sports.
‘You are seeing the likes of Luke Littler and Ronnie O’Sullivan like never before and what really happened behind-the-scenes at Benn-Eubank Jr, Taylor-Serrano II, and AJ against [Daniel] Dubois.
‘Away from the live action, you’re seeing all the backstage dramas in the dressing rooms, the press conferences, the arguments… it is so compelling.
‘You’re also seeing another world, whereby young entrepreneurs are making their own journey through the company within all of our hugely successful sports. Then you’ve got the family dynamic of me and my dad.
‘It’s unusual to have a series like this that covers all of those dynamics. It is pure, unrivalled entertainment – and, for any true sports fan, it is unmissable. And it’s a lot of fun.’
While Warren Smith, Head of Sport and Factual at Box To Box, said: ‘Sport has always had brilliant stories to be told.
‘For a long time, access to those worlds wasn’t available, and people used to watch them through the headlines in the papers… but never knowing the true story.
Barry Hearn described it like ‘Succession’ with all of his ‘kids’ trying to get a slice of the pie
Benn’s fight with Chris Eubank Jr plays a defining role in the series launching next month
The six-part series, made by the team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive and At Home With The Furys, promises high drama
‘We’ve been lucky enough at Box to Box – and with Netflix over the last few years – to be able to get inside some of the most prestigious sports and organisations in the world.
‘But with Matchroom this is more than the Sport – this is the life of the best Sports Promoters in the business – In father and son Barry and Eddie Hearn we have the best of British – two of the greatest deal makers around but also two of the most competitive men you can meet.
‘Alongside their wider Matchroom family nothing was off limits and this series is something Box To Box are extremely proud of – funny, emotional and entertaining.’