Event and experience holding company MARI has acquired ATG Entertainment, whose own holdings include major theatres worldwide, a producing arm, and ticketing operations. The sale will be subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Both entities will operate separately until the deal’s completion.
The London-based ATG originally got into the Broadway theatre-owning landscape with the Lyric Theatre, currently home to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; and the Hudson Theatre, most recently home to Every Brilliant Thing. Since acquiring Jujamcyn Theaters in 2023, the company added the August Wilson, Al Hirschfeld, St. James, Walter Kerr, and Eugene O’Neill theatres to its Broadway rolodex. Worldwide, the group controls 70 venues, including 10 theatres in London’s West End, Boston’s Colonial, and more.
The acquisition brings ATG’s holdings under the banner of MARI, whose portfolio already includes TodayTix, Frieze, Barrett-Jackson, the Miami Open, the Mutua Madrid Open, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, and the Hampton Court Palace and Blenheim Palace Festivals.
“I’ve spent my whole career in entertainment, and I started out in theatre. I’ve seen the industry reinvent itself many times, but live has only grown more powerful,” says MARI Founder and Principal Investor Ariel Emanuel in a statement. “Nothing connects great talent with audiences more directly. ATG has built one of the world’s great theatre businesses around that experience. This is a long-term bet on where live goes next.”
“MARI understands live entertainment and what matters most to ATG: our theatres, the people behind them, and the relationships we have built with producers, artists, and audiences,” says ATG Chief Executive Officer Melanie Smith. “That makes MARI the right home for our next chapter. We look forward to this new era and thank Providence for their unwavering support over the past 13 years.”
“As a producer, I have always believed in the power of live theatre to bring people together, challenge perspectives, and create unforgettable shared experiences. Our industry has always needed partners prepared to think long term, invest with confidence, and support creativity with real ambition. What I find compelling about MARI is its breadth of experience across live events and its respect for creative independence. That combination gives us the chance to champion bold new work, reach broader and more diverse audiences, and strengthen the future of live theatre for generations to come,” adds ATG producing partner Sonia Friedman.
ATG was acquired by private equity firm Providence Equity Partners in 2013 for $500 million. Financial details of the Mari deal were not disclosed, though The Hollywood Reporter is reporting it at $6 billion.