Matchroom Media has won Sports Production of the Year at this year’s Broadcast Sport Awards, recognising its outstanding coverage on DAZN of Katie Taylor’s historic farewell.
The production captured one of the most memorable occasions in boxing history, as Ireland’s greatest ever sporting icon Taylor brought her extraordinary career to a close in front of more than 82,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park.on September 5 when she defeated France’s Flora Pili for the Undisputed Super Lightweight Championship.
And at a star-studded ceremony in London on Thursday night, Matchroom Media for DAZN saw off strong competition to land the prestigious prize, pipping an illustrious shortlist which included both this year’s Men’s and Women’s FA Cup Final, England Test Cricket, Tour de France and the London Marathon.
“We are over the moon to have won this Broadcast Award,” said Matchroom Media CEO, Katie Hearn, speaking moments after receiving the coveted accolade.
“It has been a great privilege to have been a part of Katie Taylor’s career over the past 10 years, culminating in that epic night at Croke Park in front of a full house of Irish fans.
“We are so proud to have been involved in Katie’s final fight and we want to thank everyone involved from Matchroom Media, all of our suppliers at Croke Park, all the team at Matchroom Boxing and everyone for watching on DAZN. Thank you.”
The Broadcast Sport Awards celebrate excellence across the sports television and production industry, recognising the outstanding work of broadcasters, production companies and creative teams.
Charlie Parsons. the co-host for Matchroom Boxing’s Small Talk, also celebrated earlier in the evening as he took home the Young Talent of the Year (On-Screen) gong.
Taylor’s farewell fight, meanwhile, attracted unprecedented global attention, with millions tuning in to witness the emotional occasion.
In Ireland alone, a whopping 1.6 million viewers watched the action live on RTÉ, which broadcast the event free-to-air through non-exclusive rights shared by DAZN. A further 500,000 streams were recorded on RTÉ Player, while the programme averaged 973,000 viewers and commanded 74 per cent share of the available television audience.
The digital impact was equally remarkable, with Matchroom and DAZN Boxing channels generating more than 150million social media impressions and almost 95million video views, underlining the global appetite for Taylor’s farewell.
Inside the sold-out stadium, the occasion delivered a spectacular celebration of Irish sport and a fitting send-off for the London 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist. Taylor defeated Pili by unanimous decision to become Undisputed Champion for a third time before announcing her retirement, bringing her incredible professional career to an end with a record of 26-1.
The memorable night also featured a spectacular fireworks display and a headline performance from Irish chart-topping superstars Westlife, adding to the occasion’s significance and creating a truly unforgettable sporting spectacle.
You can relive the best highlights in the video player below.