A new six-episode Netflix docuseries, Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen, has premiered, pulling back the curtain on the high-stakes world of Matchroom Sport, the billion-pound empire run by the Essex-based father-son duo, Barry and Eddie Hearn. Described as “‘Succession’ meets ‘Drive to Survive’,” the series frames itself as a real-life power struggle, chronicling the transfer of control from a founder used to getting his own way to a son tasked with navigating the company’s global future. For the first time, cameras have been granted “access all areas” to document the internal politics, potential takeovers, and age-old feuds that define the business of promoting sports like boxing, darts, and snooker.
Unprecedented Access to Boardroom Battles and Ringside Chaos
Produced by Box To Box Films, the creators of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, the series moves beyond curated headlines to reveal the “warts and all” reality of the sports promotion industry. The narrative captures the raw drama often hidden from public view, including backstage arguments, tense dressing-room moments, and heated confrontations at press conferences. The filmmakers were given unfiltered access to the company’s operations, from its headquarters in Brentwood, Essex, to major international events in Riyadh, Dallas, and Las Angeles, documenting the strategic decisions and personal conflicts that underpin the sporting spectacle.
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High-Stakes Drama: Inside the Biggest Fights
The series anchors its narrative in the behind-the-scenes stories of some of modern sports’ most dramatic events. Viewers are taken inside the shocking upset of Anthony Joshua’s IBF heavyweight title fight against Daniel Dubois, a devastating fifth-round knockout loss that left the former champion’s career at a crossroads. The docuseries also delves deep into the controversy surrounding the second fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. The blood-soaked bout ended in a contested unanimous decision for Taylor, a result met with boos from the crowd amid accusations of intentional headbutting that left Serrano with a grotesque cut over her eye. Another central storyline is the generational rivalry between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr., a feud carrying the legacy of their fathers’ famous slugfests from over 30 years ago.
A Father’s Legacy and a Son’s Ambition
At the heart of the docuseries is the complex dynamic between the company’s founder and its future leader. Barry Hearn OBE, who built Matchroom from a small investment into a global powerhouse, is portrayed as the patriarch and “old, grey-haired geezer” who revolutionized niche sports like snooker and darts. His son, Eddie Hearn, now Chairman, is shown attempting to live up to that legacy while steering the company into a new era, most notably by securing a landmark billion-dollar broadcast deal with the streaming service DAZN. The series features a cast of key executives and sports superstars, including snooker’s Ronnie O’Sullivan and darts sensation Luke Littler, whose careers are intertwined with the Matchroom empire.
Production and Global Scale
Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen is a United Kingdom production directed by Jake Jones, with James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin serving as executive producers. The production’s international scope, with filming across the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines, reflects the global reach of the events and deals chronicled in the series.
All six episodes of Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen are available to stream globally on Netflix from September 17, 2025.
