Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in 2023

Archetype, a media portfolio company backed by Regent LP, has acquired Cheddar News and the Rate My Professors digital property from Altice USA. The deal — terms not disclosed — adds Cheddar's news network and the education review platform to Archetype's growing media holdings to broaden audience reach and digital capabilities.

Skyhorse Publishing has agreed to acquire Regnery Publishing from Salem Media Group, with the transaction expected to close by year-end. Salem said the sale will place the longtime conservative publisher under Skyhorse’s stewardship, while Skyhorse plans to absorb Regnery’s more than 1,500 titles into its catalogue and operate Regnery as an imprint.

Literally Media has acquired MEL Magazine, the once-popular men's lifestyle and culture brand that has been inactive since 2022. The brand was sold by Recurrent Ventures to join Literally's portfolio of digital culture properties as the buyer aims to revive MEL's voice and explore opportunities across editorial, video, and long-form IP development.

New Project Media (NPM), a U.S.-based renewable energy market data, intelligence and events company, has acquired Energy Rev, a London-based proprietary news service focused on renewable energy financing and M&A. The acquisition expands NPM's footprint into Europe, adds Energy Rev's editorial team and strengthens NPM's European content and market intelligence offerings.

Atairos has agreed to invest as a minority partner in V Sports S.C.S., the holding company controlled by Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens that owns Aston Villa FC. The capital will be used to fund growth and infrastructure investments across AVFC and the broader V Sports network; V Sports will remain 100% owner of Aston Villa post-closing and retain control of club decisions.

The Futurum Group has acquired Gestalt IT, the publisher behind Tech Field Day, to combine its analyst research and demand-generation capabilities with Gestalt IT’s practitioner-focused events and content. The acquisition will expand Tech Field Day’s delegate network and broaden coverage across cloud, DevOps, AI, data, and cybersecurity while connecting participants to Futurum’s client pipeline.

Perion Network Ltd. has completed the acquisition of Hivestack Inc., a global full‑stack programmatic digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) platform, for $100 million in cash plus up to $25 million in employee retention and performance‑based payments. The deal gives Perion immediate entry into the DOOH market with Hivestack's platform deployed across 32 countries and is intended to expand Perion's advertising product capabilities and diversify its revenue mix.

Oak View Group (OVG) announced a strategic growth investment in Family Entertainment Holdings (FEH), a diversified live-events holding company behind Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live and Magic of Lights. The partnership will accelerate FEH’s international touring and seasonal programs while enhancing sponsorship and venue partnership capabilities through OVG’s global platform.

WTWH Media, a Cleveland-based digital-first B2B media and marketing company, has acquired the digital B2B media assets of Engineering.com. The acquisition expands WTWH Media's engineering-focused portfolio and audience reach, and follows WTWH's partnership with Mountaingate Capital to support growth and strategic acquisitions.

Hearst Newspapers has acquired Puzzmo, a puzzle-games platform developed by Zach Gage and Orta Therox that hosts original daily newspaper-style games. Hearst plans to roll out Puzzmo across its brands (including the San Francisco Chronicle and Popular Mechanics) and make the platform available to partner publishers such as Vox, Digg, theSkimm and Postmedia.

Francisco Partners has provided growth capital to back the combination of Muse Group and Hal Leonard, creating an expanded global music content and learning platform. Hal Leonard will join Muse Group while both firms retain their existing headquarters; the combined business will leverage Muse Group’s digital products (Ultimate Guitar, MuseScore, Audacity) and Hal Leonard’s extensive sheet-music catalog to accelerate product, content and education offerings.

Paste Magazine has acquired the online cultural and feminist site Jezebel from G/O Media and plans to relaunch the brand. The purchase brings Jezebel into Paste’s portfolio as part of a strategic effort to expand its cultural journalism reach and preserve Jezebel’s editorial voice.

New Mountain Capital will lead a shareholder group to acquire Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the world’s largest performing rights organization, with CapitalG taking a passive minority stake. The investment is intended to fund technology upgrades, new service offerings and M&A to increase royalty collections and accelerate cash distributions to BMI affiliates; BMI shareholders will allocate $100 million of sale proceeds to affiliates following closing.

Oddschecker Global Media (OGM) has acquired Italian sports network SuperScommesse from Catena Media, strengthening OGM's position in Italy and expanding its Confido affiliate network. The deal adds SuperScommesse's local brand, team and technology to OGM's European media operations and is intended to enhance product offerings and fan engagement in Italy's growing sports-betting market.

RedBird IMI, a joint venture between RedBird Capital Partners and International Media Investments, has made a strategic minority investment in Front Office Sports (FOS). Jeff Zucker will join FOS's board as co-chair and SC Holdings will remain a significant minority shareholder as FOS uses the capital to expand its content, product and distribution reach.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) has completed the acquisition of Bellator from Paramount Global, creating a combined MMA organization positioned as an industry co-leader. The deal brings Bellator's fighter roster and event infrastructure into the PFL platform, enabling expanded live-event franchises, a reimagined Bellator product in 2024, and plans for a PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions mega-event.

Curios, a Web3 creator marketplace, has acquired E-NFT.com (the E‑NFT marketplace) following a transition of management from Vinco Ventures, Zash Global, and Emmersive Entertainment. Curios plans to integrate E‑NFT and its 100,000+ users into its Creator Marketplace to revive the E‑NFT marketplace and expand digital music NFT offerings for creators and collectors.

Find.co has acquired 100% of Salon.com, bringing the veteran digital publisher into its expanding media portfolio. Salon will operate as a standalone U.S. brand with existing editorial staff retained; co-owners Drew Schoentrup and Chris Richmond will remain in transitional roles following the undisclosed transaction.

Legends has acquired ASM Global from AEG and Onex to create a combined global live-events and venue services company. The transaction brings together Legends' premium hospitality, merchandise, sponsorship and venue planning capabilities with ASM Global's venue management and event booking network to expand geographic reach, service offerings, and scale across sports, entertainment and conventions.

Willistown Capital has made a strategic growth investment in High Output to support the company's continued expansion of event production, AV installations, and soundstage services. Additional financing participants included Spring Capital Partners, Merion Investment Partners and Penstock Equity; founders John Cini and Jim Hirsch will remain in leadership roles.

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. has completed the sale of its French business, Clear Channel France, to Equinox Industries as part of a broader portfolio optimization. The company said it is initiating a process to sell its Europe‑North segment and conducting a strategic review of its Latin American businesses while engaging financial advisers for those processes.

Atari SA has entered into an agreement to acquire Digital Eclipse, an Emeryville, California-based game development studio specializing in the digital restoration and preservation of classic video games. The purchase consideration includes an initial $6.5 million (US$4.0 million cash and US$2.5 million in newly issued Atari shares) plus an earn-out of up to $13.5 million payable over ten years; Digital Eclipse shareholders will hold approximately 4.6% of Atari following a reserved capital increase. The acquisition is intended to expand Atari's internal development capabilities and advance its retro-focused growth strategy.

The Futurum Group, a technology advisory, media, and research firm based in Austin, acquired Business Podcast Network (BPN), a San Francisco–based venture-backed podcast network known for The Drill Down. BPN founder Cory Johnson will join Futurum as Chief Market Strategist as Futurum expands its thought leadership, research and media capabilities.

KKR has completed its previously announced $1.62 billion all-cash acquisition of Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global. Simon & Schuster becomes a standalone private company led by CEO Jonathan Karp, with KKR supporting employee ownership and plans to invest in the publisher's future growth and capabilities.

Giggster has acquired the domain and assets of ePHOTOzine, a long-running online photography magazine operated by Magezine Publishing Ltd. The deal brings ePHOTOzine's content, tutorials, reviews and community into Giggster's marketplace to expand resources and reach for photographers and production renters.

GameSquare Holdings has entered into a definitive all-stock agreement to acquire FaZe Clan, with FaZe to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary and its founders returning to lead the brand. The transaction combines complementary media, creator and esports assets (combined revenue ~ $138M in 2022), is expected to generate over $18M of run-rate cost savings, and will be effected via a share exchange giving FaZe shareholders approximately 45% of the combined company.

Basic.Space, a curated digital marketplace, has acquired Design Miami/, the global forum for collectible 20th and 21st-century design, in an all-stock transaction. Design Miami/ will continue to operate independently with Jennifer Roberts remaining CEO; Jesse Lee (Basic.Space founder & CEO) will serve as chairman and Craig Robins will join the board as part of the deal. The acquisition aims to expand Design Miami/'s e-commerce strategy, collaborations, fair formats and geographic footprint while deepening Basic.Space's home and collectible design offerings.

Patreon has acquired Los Angeles-based livestream ticketed events platform Moment. The deal — terms undisclosed — will integrate Moment's ticketed livestream capabilities into Patreon's creator tools, giving creators a native way to host and monetize live digital experiences.

Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) has purchased the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A; International League) and the Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A; Pacific Coast League) from longtime owner Ken Young. The teams will continue operating with existing front-office staffs and managers in place as DBH integrates the franchises into its growing portfolio to enhance fan, player and community experiences.

Capitala Group announced a successful exit from its investment in Jurassic Quest Holdings, LLC, a traveling family event business based outside Houston, Texas. Capitala first invested in May 2019 and said the partnership helped advance Jurassic Quest's growth; the press release did not disclose the buyer or transaction terms.

Equine Network, LLC has purchased The Patriot, a series of team ropings, barrel races, youth rodeo competitions and a premier junior horse sale, expanding its Western Sports Group event portfolio. Equine Network said it will integrate The Patriot into its data management and membership platform to drive growth and enhance event management and participant services.

Rockbot has acquired Nerdy Bunny, an interactive signage and retail display solutions platform, to strengthen its in-store media and experiential retail capabilities. The deal brings Nerdy Bunny's interactive merchandising, TV demo experiences and retail media ad-serving solutions into Rockbot's unified CMS platform to better serve retailers and brands.

FLYING Media Group (FMG) has acquired AvBuyer, the business aircraft listing marketplace and aviation media brand, along with GA Buyer Europe and GA Buyer Africa. FMG will integrate the assets into its existing portfolio of aviation publications and marketplaces to expand its reach in the business aviation listings and market-intelligence market.

Songtradr has acquired direct-to-fan music platform Bandcamp from Epic Games. Songtradr said it will continue to operate Bandcamp as an artist-first marketplace and plans to leverage Bandcamp's catalogue and artist relationships to expand its music licensing, distribution and creator services.

Cinespace Studios has acquired the EUE/Screen Gems studio campuses in Atlanta, Georgia and Wilmington, North Carolina, expanding its global production footprint. The two facilities will operate as Cinespace Atlanta and Cinespace Wilmington, adding significant soundstage capacity and production support to Cinespace’s existing network.

Newsletter platform beehiiv has acquired ad-tech company Swapstack, adding Swapstack's technology and talent to accelerate beehiiv's ad network and creator monetization offerings. The deal brings two of Swapstack's four employees into beehiiv; financial terms were not disclosed.

AVFX, a Boston- and Denver-based audio visual production company backed by Harbor Beach Capital, has acquired Orlando-based AV Matters to expand its presence in the Southeast. The deal is the third acquisition under AVFX's partnership with Harbor Beach Capital and supports a strategy to build a national events production platform through selective add-ons and geographic expansion.

ZetaDisplay AB (publ) has acquired Austrian digital signage integrator Peakmedia digital signage GmbH to strengthen its presence in the DACH region and broader European markets. The deal, funded through ZetaDisplay's existing debt facilities, adds ~9,000 licensed installations and a team of over 20 employees to the group and is expected to be accretive to EBITDA.

Concord has acquired the music publishing catalog of Mojo Music & Media, adding more than 30,000 songs — including works by REO Speedwagon, KISS and Cheap Trick — to its publishing portfolio. The deal expands Concord's catalog and follows Concord's broader strategic accumulation of publishing assets and recent bid activity in the music-rights market.

Wasserman has acquired Brillstein Entertainment Partners, bringing the legendary talent management and production firm into Wasserman's global sports, music and entertainment platform. The deal expands Wasserman's capabilities in talent management, content creation and production while Brillstein's leadership and staff will continue to operate under the Wasserman umbrella.

Bluestone Equity Partners made a minority growth equity investment in RWS Global, the world's largest provider of live shows, destinations and immersive experiences. The capital will support RWS Global's continued global expansion and scaling of its creative, production and operational capabilities; Bluestone will take two seats on the company's board.

H.I.G. Capital (via an affiliate), joined by Francisco Partners and RBmedia management, agreed to acquire RBmedia, the world’s largest audiobook publisher, from KKR. The investors said the transaction will support RBmedia’s next phase of growth — with management remaining shareholders and employees receiving payouts tied to their ownership stakes.

LEARFIELD closed a comprehensive deleveraging and recapitalization transaction that reduced its outstanding debt by over $600 million and secured $150 million of new equity. The company's majority ownership is now comprised of lead capital providers Clearlake Capital Group, Charlesbank Capital Partners, and funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, strengthening LEARFIELD’s balance sheet and funding continued growth across its media and technology businesses serving college athletics.

Affiliates of private equity firm ZMC have acquired InProduction, a U.S. provider of temporary seating, staging, structures, and scenic production, from Dubin Clark. The acquisition positions ZMC to accelerate InProduction’s growth organically and via add-on acquisitions, leveraging the company’s event-production capabilities and national footprint.

Exceleration Music has acquired Redeye, the US-based digital and physical distribution and music services company, in a deal that also includes Redeye’s in-house labels Yep Roc and Sundazed and publishing company Riff City Sounds. Redeye founders Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen remain shareholders and will continue to lead the business, while Exceleration provides additional resources to expand distribution, label and publishing services globally.

Artémis, the Pinault family’s investment company, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA) from TPG. CAA’s current leadership — Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane and Richard Lovett — will remain as Co-Chairmen, with Lourd expected to become CEO; Temasek will remain a minority investor and CMC Capital will remain a strategic partner.

Liberty Media Corporation agreed to acquire greater than 90% of QuintEvents, valuing the company at $313 million; the deal is being funded with cash on hand and Quint will be attributed to Liberty’s Formula One Group tracking stock. Quint, a Charlotte-based provider of official ticketing, hospitality and travel experiences for major sports and entertainment events, will continue to operate separately while partnering with Liberty/Formula 1 to expand premium fan and corporate experiences.

Hemisphere Media Group completed its acquisition of radio stations WKAQ AM and KQ105 FM from TelevisaUnivision and concurrently launched a new multiplatform company, WAPA Media. The deal expands Hemisphere's Puerto Rico footprint by integrating top-rated radio assets with its leading TV, digital and live-events businesses to offer advertisers a unified, cross-platform offering.

AllOver Media, a ShoreView Industries portfolio company, has acquired Boxi, a California-based tech-infused truck media company and the nation's largest truck advertising platform. The acquisition strengthens AllOver Media's truck advertising division by adding Boxi's vehicle inventory, measurement dashboard and proprietary technology to its multi-platform out-of-home (OOH) offerings.

Grupo Globo has purchased a minority stake in Eletromidia, Brazil’s leading out-of-home (OOH) media company, from an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital. H.I.G. remains the largest shareholder; Globo said the investment will deepen synergies across its advertising portfolio and help accelerate Eletromidia’s digital and geographic growth.