Mari, the events and experiences business controlled by Hollywood agent-turned-executive Ari Emanuel, has agreed to acquire ATG Entertainment, the London-based theatre owner that operates 70 venues and attracts more than 18 million theatregoers a year, the companies announced Tuesday.
Deal expands Mari’s live-entertainment reach
Financial terms were not disclosed. Mari said the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, will see ATG continue to operate under its existing leadership after closing. The seller is Providence Equity Partners L.L.C., according to Mari.
The acquisition marks another step in Mari’s rapid expansion of live-entertainment assets. Last year the company bought TodayTix Group, a ticketing platform that serves Broadway and London’s West End. Mari also lists ownership or control of several high-profile events and properties, including the Miami Open, the contemporary‑art organisation Frieze and London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.
Scale and reach of ATG
ATG’s portfolio has hosted more than 16,000 performances and draws an audience Mari says totals in excess of 18 million people annually. The company is a producer and co‑producer for the West End and Broadway and is the home for major shows including “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” ATG also owns three San Francisco venues: the Orpheum Theatre, Golden Gate Theatre and Curran Theatre.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Number of venues | 70 |
| Performances hosted | 16,000+ |
| Annual theatregoers | 18 million+ |
| San Francisco venues | Orpheum, Golden Gate, Curran |
“I’ve seen the industry reinvent itself many times, but live has only grown more powerful. Nothing connects great talent with audiences more directly. ATG has built one of the world’s great theater businesses around that experience. This is a long-term bet on where live goes next.”
The comment came from Ari Emanuel in a statement released by Mari. Mark Shapiro, a principal investor and Mari board member, said Mari plans to invest in preserving and modernising ATG’s stages and improving the audience experience by tapping into Mari’s “creative energy.”
Local leadership, global ambitions
ATG’s global CEO, Melanie Smith, welcomed the deal and emphasised continuity. In a statement, she said Mari understands what “matters most to ATG: our theaters, the people behind them and the relationships we have built with producers, artists and audiences,” calling Mari “the right home for our next chapter.”
Mari has framed the acquisition as both a preservation and growth play: the company says it will invest in theatre upkeep and modernisation while creating opportunities for local artists and broadening access to live productions.
For the live-entertainment sector, the deal continues a trend of consolidation linking venue owners, promoters and ticketing platforms. By combining ATG’s venue network and production expertise with Mari’s broader events portfolio and recent ticketing acquisition, the company moves further toward vertical integration — controlling live content, distribution and audience reach across markets.
- ATG’s assets include large West End theatres and three notable San Francisco venues.
- Mari already owns high-profile events and the TodayTix ticketing platform.
- The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and financial terms were not disclosed.
Exactly how Mari will deploy capital across ATG’s venues and whether the transaction will trigger regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions remain open questions. For producers, artists and local theatre ecosystems, the acquisition could mean new investment but also a recalibration of negotiating power as a major promoter expands its footprint.
The deal underscores the commercial appeal of live entertainment as audiences rebound and promoters look to control more elements of the theatre-to-ticketing pipeline. Observers will be watching how Mari balances investment in heritage venues with the company’s consumer-facing, experiential approach to events.
— Business desk
