Barry Hearn

Barry Hearn is an English sports promoter who founded Matchroom Sport in 1982 and chaired the Professional Darts Corporation from 2001 until 2021. Born in Dagenham, Essex, on 19 June 1948, he qualified as a chartered accountant before building a business around snooker, and later took Matchroom into boxing, darts and a range of other sports. In April 2021 he stepped aside as chairman of the Matchroom group, handing the role to his son Eddie, and he is now President of Matchroom and of the PDC.

Snooker and Matchroom

Hearn grew up in Dagenham and on the Debden estate in Loughton, and was educated at Buckhurst Hill County High School. After qualifying as a chartered accountant he became finance director of Kensal House Investments, and in 1974 became chairman of Lucania Snooker Clubs, using the chain to promote amateur tournaments. Steve Davis began playing at the Romford Lucania club in 1976, and Hearn went on to manage him through a career that brought six world titles.

When Riley Leisure bought the Lucania chain for £3.1 million in 1982, Hearn formed Matchroom Sport to manage leading snooker players and produce televised events. He was elected chairman of the WPBSA in December 2009 and in June 2010 took a 51% controlling interest in World Snooker Limited.

Boxing and football

Hearn's first boxing promotion was Frank Bruno against Joe Bugner at White Hart Lane in October 1987. He went on to promote boxers including Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, Naseem Hamed and Steve Collins, and introduced the Prizefighter series in 2008. Eddie Hearn now runs Matchroom's boxing business. Barry Hearn was chairman of Leyton Orient from 1995 to 2014, and resigned as the club's honorary president in April 2017.

Darts

Matchroom acquired a majority shareholding in the PDC in 2001, and Hearn was appointed chairman. Companies House records him as a director of The Professional Darts Corporation Limited from 15 June 2001 to 30 April 2021. Between 2001 and his departure the World Championship prize fund rose from £125,000 to £2.5 million. He stepped down as PDC chairman in April 2021, when Eddie Hearn succeeded him, and the PDC now describes him as its President. He was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2021.

Honours and later years

Hearn was appointed OBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to sport. On 22 September 2025 he received the Freedom of the City of London at Guildhall, alongside the former boxer Michael Watson. In May 2026, when Bruin Capital took a minority stake in Matchroom Holdings, the business confirmed that the Hearn family would keep majority ownership, with Eddie Hearn as Group Chairman and Barry Hearn as Founder and President. He is married to Susan, and the couple have two children, Katie and Eddie.