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DEAG acquires remaining shares in Wizard Live
January28
DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG has increased its stake in Wizard Live GmbH from 75.1% to 100%, acquiring the remaining 24.9% from founder Ossy Hoppe and managing director Oliver Hoppe.
The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price, which consists of a cash component and shares issued as part of a capital increase through contributions in kind. As part of the transaction, Ossy and Oliver Hoppe will become shareholders in DEAG.
Oliver Hoppe will remain managing director of Wizard and continue to lead the company long term. In addition, in his role as executive vice president of live entertainment, management & strategy at DEAG, he will support the further development of the group’s live entertainment segment, with a focus on international networking, the expansion of new business areas and the optimisation of customer experience.
Ossy Hoppe will continue to support DEAG in an advisory capacity.
DEAG said the full acquisition strengthens its market position in live entertainment, continues its buy-and-build strategy and reduces minority interests in successful group companies as planned. DEAG has held a stake in Wizard since 2013 and says the partnership has generated synergies across live entertainment, ticketing and artist acquisition.
Founded in 2004, Wizard is one of Germany’s leading concert and tour promoters. The company has organised events with artists including 50 Cent, AC/DC, Adele, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Haftbefehl, Herbert Grönemeyer and Ricky Martin. More recently, Wizard promoted German tours for Iron Maiden, Böhse Onkelz, Nena and Jamie Cullum, and is set to organise tours and concerts in 2026 with Judas Priest, Foreigner, Zucchero and OMD, among others.
Commenting on the deal, Detlef Kornett, group CEO of DEAG, said: “We are consistently implementing our buy-and-build strategy and continuing to expand our activities in live entertainment. Following our recent acquisition of Fane Productions and the fact that Alex Fane has become a shareholder in DEAG, we are now delighted to welcome Ossy and Oliver Hoppe as DEAG shareholders. We have worked very successfully with Ossy and Oliver in recent years and look forward to taking the next steps in our growth together with the Wizard team.”
Oliver Hoppe added: “We are delighted to be writing a new chapter in our success story. With Wizard’s first-class line-up, new tours, new products and further innovations, DEAG aims to continue inspiring visitors and drive further expansion in the future. Helping to shape this plan and playing a decisive role in its success is a highly attractive challenge for me.”
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