Copyright Variety
Ari Emanuel, through his MARI events and experiences roll-up company, has snapped up two other businesses previously owned by Endeavor, which he formerly headed as CEO. MARI announced the acquisition of IMG’s Arts & Entertainment and Action Sports events portfolios. Those include events including London’s annual Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, which sees more than 3 million visitors each holiday season, and the global Taste Festivals culinary series, headlined by the Taste of London. The IMG Action Sports portfolio includes such properties as the U.S. Open of Surfing in Southern California and the Nike Melbourne Marathon. Emanuel, founder of and principal investor in MARI, remains chairman of WME Group (which went private earlier this year in a deal with Silver Lake) and is the CEO of TKO Group, the parent company of WWE and UFC (which is majority owned by WME Group’s parent). MARI, which Emanuel launched last month, previously acquired art-fair and media company Frieze from Endeavor. MARI also bought IMG’s portfolio of international tennis events, which includes the Miami and Madrid Open tennis tournaments. The company also is majority owner of Barrett-Jackson, a U.S. collector car auction company, and two weeks ago announced a deal to buy TodayTix Group, which operates an online platform selling tickets to Broadway shows and other live events. Emanuel said in a statement, “From London’s iconic Hyde Park Winter Wonderland to Taste Festivals worldwide, MARI’s growing presence across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia furthers our ambition to build a global portfolio of cultural, lifestyle and sporting events that connect millions of people through live experiences.” Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP acted as legal adviser and Goldman Sachs & Co. and LionTree Advisors LLC acted as financial advisers to MARI in connection with the transaction. Pictured above: London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
