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MARI to Acquire ATG Entertainment
August12
MARI, the global events and experiences company founded by entertainment executive Ariel Emanuel, has agreed to acquire international theatre operator ATG Entertainment from Providence Equity Partners.
ATG operates 70 venues across the UK, US, Germany and Spain, including seven Broadway theatres and ten venues in London’s West End. The company presents more than 16,000 performances annually and welcomes over 18 million visitors across its venues.
ATG is also active in theatre production and ticketing through ATGtickets.com, with productions presented across its network including The Lion King, Wicked and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Who is Ariel Emanuel?
Ariel “Ari” Emanuel is one of the most prominent executives in the global entertainment business. He co-founded Hollywood talent agency Endeavor in 1995 and later led Endeavor Group, which grew across talent representation, sports and live events through businesses including WME and IMG. Following Endeavor’s take-private transaction, Emanuel launched MARI in 2025 as a new global events and experiences group.
MARI’s portfolio currently includes the Miami Open and Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournaments, contemporary art business Frieze, collector car auction company Barrett-Jackson, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and TodayTix Group.
ATG to retain existing management
Following completion, MARI plans to invest in the preservation and modernisation of ATG’s theatres, as well as audience experience and new productions. ATG will continue under its existing brand and leadership.
Emanuel said: “I’ve spent my whole career in entertainment, and I started out in theater. 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 Entertainment global CEO Melanie Smith added: “MARI understands live entertainment and what matters most to ATG: our theaters, the people behind them and the relationships we have built with producers, artists and audiences. That makes MARI the right home for our next chapter.”
Providence has backed ATG for 13 years, overseeing a period of international expansion and acquisitions. The acquisition will further expand MARI’s position in live entertainment by adding a major international theatre and venue network to its existing events portfolio.
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