Matchroom media arm enhances OTT operations with Loop acquisition

Matchroom has announced that it has acquired Loop – a live streaming and production company that has previously collaborated with the promoter.

Becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Matchroom Media – the agency’s media arm launched earlier this year to act as home to production of live events – Loop will help to deliver content for Matchroom’s portfolio of properties, including Matchroom Boxing, PDC Darts, Matchroom Pool, the World Snooker Tour.

Loop has worked with Matchroom in the past, producing streams for the promotion’s OTT platform Matchroom.Live, which launched last year, along with social channels and broadcast rights-holders.

Katie Hearn, who was installed as Director of Programming of the new media division in January, noted: “After many years working alongside Loop, we’re delighted that they will now be a part of the Matchroom Group and look forward to joining forces to grow our production services.

“We have always been impressed by their progressive approach to producing quality live productions for both OTT and linear platforms and are excited to push on together with more broadcasts.”

Earlier this week, it was announced that Eddie Hearn would succeed his father Barry Hearn OBE as Chairman of the Matchroom brand upon his retirement, quickly followed by reports that Matchroom Boxing had agreed a ‘record-breaking’ deal with DAZN to replace Sky as the promotion company’s exclusive UK broadcaster.

The acquisition will see Loop’s Head of Production, Nick Oldfield, assume the role of Managing Director.

“Katie and Matchroom’s plans to grow its in-house production arm is very exciting. Loop prides itself on its innovative, aggressive and streamlined production workflows,” he commented. “Coupling this with Matchroom’s ever growing array of new live OTT and broadcast events makes for a refreshing move in the industry.”