Bruin Capital has acquired a 15% stake in Matchroom Holdings, valuing the sports empire of Barry and Eddie Hearn at over £1bn. The US sports investment firm joins existing minority investor Pitch International as the Hearns retain majority control of the business spanning boxing, darts, and snooker.

The deal provides a windfall for Barry Hearn, who launched Matchroom below a snooker club in Romford in 1982. The company posted £225mn in revenue with £37.6mn pre-tax profit in the year ending June 2025. Matchroom represents heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua and owns the Professional Darts Corporation, which has benefited from the meteoric rise of teenage champion Luke Littler.

Hearn said the partnership would support a "massive push" into America, particularly for darts. Bruin Capital, led by former IMG executive George Pyne, raised $1bn in January and brings broadcasting expertise. The investment underscores investor appetite for live sports content and validates the Hearns' transformation of a small Essex family business into a global sports powerhouse generating more than half its revenue in the UK.