Copyright Variety
MARI, Ari Emanuel‘s global events and experiences company, has acquired TodayTix Group, which operates an online platform selling tickets to Broadway shows and other live events. Emanuel, the Hollywood agent who is CEO of TKO Group and chairman of WME Group, launched MARI last month. The roll-up company’s portfolio includes the Madrid and Miami Open tennis tournaments; Frieze, a contemporary art brand and media firm; and Barrett-Jackson, a U.S. collector car auction company. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Private equity firm Great Hill Partners, which acquired a majority stake in TodayTIx in 2019, sold its stake to MARI. TodayTix says it has more than 20 million members across the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Its brands include TodayTix, Secret Cinema, LondonTheatre and Show-Score, in partnership with more than 10,000 theatres, producers and cultural institutions worldwide. According to MARI, the addition of TodayTix will let the company “redefine the event lifecycle,” encompassing discovery, purchase and post-event engagement. Brian Fenty, co-founder and CEO of TodayTix Group, will remain chief executive of the company and will also join MARI’s executive leadership team. Co-Founder Merritt Baer will continue as artistic director and producer at Secret Cinema. “This is the next step in building MARI as a global leader in live experiences,” Emanuel said in a statement. “With TodayTix, we’re adding a technology engine and a direct line to audiences that makes our portfolio even more powerful. Alongside sport, art, and lifestyle, theatre and immersive performance now sit at the core of what we do – expanding our reach and deepening how we connect people with defining live experiences.” Fenty said in a statement, “TodayTix was born to democratize access to culture. Over the past decade, we’ve built a platform that audiences lean on, theatres trust, and producers depend upon.” As part of MARI, “we will elevate user experience, empower creators, and redefine the event-level offering in ways the world hasn’t yet seen, with purpose-built AI for the future of events.” Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP served as legal counsel to MARI. Moelis & Company LLC and LionTree Advisors LLC served as financial advisors and Paul Hastings LLP served as legal counsel to TodayTix Group and Great Hill Partners.
