Eddie Hearn is one of the most powerful men in boxing today. As the head of Matchroom Sport, he has quickly risen to become one of the top promoters in the world and has carved out a name for himself by putting together massive boxing events in the UK featuring some of the sport’s biggest stars.
With his sharp business skills and bold ambitions to take over boxing in the US, Hearn has amassed quite the bankroll over the years.
Let’s take a closer look at Eddie Hearn’s background, personal life, net worth, and plans to dominate professional boxing globally.
Early Life and Family
Eddie Hearn was born on June 8, 1979, in Essex, England to entrepreneur and former professional boxer Barry Hearn and his wife Susan. Boxing ran in Hearn’s blood from a young age. His father Barry revolutionized sports promotion in the UK, especially in snooker, darts and boxing.
Hearn first forayed into the family business when he began selling merchandise for his father’s sporting events at just 11 years old. He went on to attend the prestigious Brentwood School before spending a year in San Diego where he played tennis and took business courses.
Upon returning to the UK, Hearn entered the family business in 2001 when he founded the boxing promotional company Matchroom Sport with his father at the age of 22.
Eddie Hearn’s Net Worth in 2024
According to most reports, Eddie Hearn’s net worth is estimated to be around $50 million as of 2024. The majority of his wealth comes from Matchroom Sport’s broadcasting deals and ticket sales.
With his transformative DAZN contract now extended to 2030, and his partnership with new casino resort host BankWorld in Massachusetts underway, expect Eddie Hearn’s net worth to keep rising substantially as he continues expanding his promotional empire.
Matchroom is currently valued at around $1 billion and generates annual revenue upwards of $300 million. As the company’s president and lead decision maker, Hearn has built himself quite a fortune even before age 45.
Wife and Kids
Eddie Hearn married his long-time girlfriend Kirsty Hearn (née Gallagher) in 2008. The couple dated for many years after meeting at Brentwood School. They have two children together – daughters Isla and Sophia.
Rise as Top Boxing Promoter in the UK
Under Hearn’s leadership, Matchroom Sport gained a strong foothold in professional boxing in Britain, signing high-profile British fighters like former unified middleweight champion Carl Froch.
In July 2011, Eddie Hearn led Matchroom Boxing’s acquisition of subscription sports broadcaster Sky Sports. This multi-year exclusive rights deal marked a major turning point, providing Matchroom financial security and exposure on Sky Sports to showcase Hearn’s events.
Over the next several years, Hearn cemented his status as the number one boxing promoter in the UK. He put together a string of record-breaking sellout events featuring boxing’s biggest stars.
He organized Froch vs. George Groves II at Wembley Stadium in 2014, drawing 80,000 fans for the biggest attendance ever for a boxing event in Britain. Since then, Hearn has continuously set new attendance records with stadium fights.
His crowning achievement thus far was Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017, an instant classic that drew over 90,000 spectators at Wembley. Joshua’s dramatic 11th-round TKO over Klitschko was viewed by over 1.5 million people on Sky Box Office, setting a new UK record.
Conquering America
Starting around 2018, having firmly established himself in Britain, Eddie Hearn set his eyes on expanding his reach and influence in the lucrative American boxing market.
Hearn signed a history-making 8-year $1 billion deal with sports streaming service DAZN to stage 16 events per year in the U.S. He brought British heavyweight star Anthony Joshua stateside to make his American debut at Madison Square Garden. Joshua headlined the highest-grossing event at the iconic venue, knocking out replacement opponent Andy Ruiz Jr.
While Joshua immediately lost his titles to Ruiz Jr. in a shocker in their rematch, Hearn continued putting together big fights, negotiating a 3-fight deal for unified middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez before Canelo split to join rival promoter PBC.
Hearn also added some top American names to Matchroom Boxing USA like Devin Haney, Tevin Farmer, and Daniel Jacobs.
Despite some early hiccups, over the past few years, Eddie Hearn has made tremendous progress with his American expansion plans. He has locked in venues in various fight cities across the country to build a thriving boxing scene.
Matchroom now stages more marquee events in America than any other promoter. In 2022, DAZN reportedly approved an extension of their partnership with Matchroom, showing their faith in Hearn’s ability to keep delivering high-quality fights as part of their $100 million per year investment in boxing.
What’s Next for Eddie Hearn?
Now firmly positioned as one of boxing’s most powerful players, Eddie Hearn will look to expand his reach even further across the globe while continuing to grow in America.
In 2022, Matchroom Boxing partnered with events company BankWorld to host major fights at their upcoming venue near Boston starting in 2023. This deal gives Matchroom a long-desired foothold in the coveted North Atlantic region.
Hearn also recently announced intentions to start promoting boxing events in Mexico to cash in on the sport’s popularity there.
With seemingly endless ambition, expect the Eddie Hearn empire to continue rising. As he told The Guardian: “I want to take over boxing. I want to make my dad No. 2.”
If Hearn’s success so far is any indicator, few would bet against him achieving exactly that.
