Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in 2025

Savage Ventures has acquired Sporked.com, the food-focused digital media brand founded by Mythical, to expand its digital publishing and social video portfolio. Mythical will exit ownership of the brand while Sporked’s editor-in-chief and existing full-time team will continue under Savage ownership; terms were not disclosed.

Stingray Group Inc. has completed the acquisition of TuneIn Holdings, Inc. for up to US$175 million (US$150 million at closing plus up to US$25 million earnout). The deal strengthens Stingray's position in the global audio market by expanding its reach to TuneIn's listeners and distribution platforms; the acquisition was financed with a US$150 million term loan under Stingray's renewed credit facility.

Collectors, the parent company of PSA, has acquired Beckett Collectibles (Beckett Media) from Collēctīvus/Collectivus Holdings. The deal consolidates major grading, authentication and collectibles data assets under Collectors to expand grading, authentication and marketplace capabilities in the collectibles market.

OnDeck Partners, a new sports ownership group within Avenue Sports Fund led by Marc Lasry, has acquired two Minor League Baseball franchises: the Montgomery Biscuits (Double-A) and the Visalia Rawhide (Single-A). The purchases mark OnDeck's market entry with a community-first strategy to enhance fan experiences and invest in local stadiums and programming.

Parella Motorsports Holdings (the owner/operator of SpeedTour) has acquired Racing America, a digital-first motorsports media and streaming platform. The deal, completed under the ownership of Velocity Capital Management (with support from the Texas Permanent School Fund), combines live-event promotion with Racing America's digital production and streaming capabilities to create an integrated grassroots motorsports media and events platform headquartered in North Carolina.

Easyfairs has acquired the Energy Projects Conference & Expo (EPC), marking its first acquisition in North America and supporting its expansion into the US energy events market. EPC, founded by Josh Bull, is a fast-growing energy projects tradeshow focused on LNG export, power generation, petrochemicals & refining, midstream and alternative energies.

The Sports Group Endeavors, together with an ownership group led by SG Ellison, AQ Shipley, Brandon Stein, and Mark King, purchased the new Las Vegas Action franchise from the Grass League for $1 million. The acquisition marks the Grass League's continued U.S. expansion into major sports markets and positions the Las Vegas Action to capitalize on media, sponsorship, and live-event opportunities.

Suno, an AI music platform, has acquired Songkick, the live-music discovery service, from Warner Music Group as part of a strategic partnership that also includes licensed AI music models. The deal connects Suno's generative music tools with Songkick's concert and event discovery ecosystem to create new fan experiences and revenue opportunities for artists.

Catapult Book Group has acquired Portland-based independent press Hawthorne Books & Literary Arts, including its full catalog and trademark. Hawthorne will become the fourth imprint within the Catapult portfolio (alongside Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press), with Hawthorne's founder Rhonda Hughes remaining on as Contributing Editor and distribution shifting to Penguin Random House.

Encore, a global event production and technology company headquartered in Schiller Park, Illinois, has acquired Eclipse, a Beckenham, United Kingdom–based creative technical production firm founded in 1988. The acquisition strengthens Encore's presence and capabilities in the UK market—adding Eclipse's production, scenic and in-house creative expertise and venue relationships with London hotels and stadiums.

John Gore Studios has acquired UK genre producer Tyburn Film Productions Limited and its film and television catalogue. The acquisition expands John Gore Studios' IP library and enables restoration, remastering and potential remakes or adaptations of Tyburn's classic horror and thriller titles.

Spotify has acquired London-based music database and discovery platform WhoSampled, onboarding the team and its extensive community-run database. The deal (terms undisclosed) will integrate WhoSampled’s data into Spotify’s music discovery features, including the new SongDNA tool, and aims to speed moderation and expand product availability.

CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) has acquired ChannelPro Network, a content and events business serving the SMB Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. The deal expands CRA's cybersecurity and channel-focused business intelligence portfolio by combining ChannelPro's audience, events, and content with CRA's existing brands and resources.

GENDA Inc., a Tokyo-based entertainment operator, has acquired Indigo NewCo Limited, an amusement arcade business managed by Inspired Gaming and based in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. The deal (closed Q4 2025) expands GENDA's footprint in the UK and enables the company to operate large-scale amusement arcades and deploy its Japanese-style games across European locations.

FOX Entertainment has acquired Meet Cute, a New York–based audio drama platform founded in 2019 by Naomi Shah, to expand its creator-driven content pipeline and incubator ecosystem. Meet Cute will operate as a rapid-development content incubator within FOX, with Shah joining FOX Entertainment as Senior Vice President, Operations and Strategy to focus on AI innovation, entertainment technology, and IP scalability.

Questex has acquired life-sciences-focused event companies The Conference Forum and Versalinx Global Events to expand its healthcare and life sciences events and media portfolio. The acquisitions add specialty conferences, market-research and competitive-intelligence events, and complementary databases and teams to Questex's Fierce Healthcare & Life Sciences platform.

Hovercraft Ventures (formerly Skyview Innovations) has rebranded and acquired Raw Cereal, a Los Angeles-based creative production studio led by Anders Rahm and Cort Lawrence. Raw Cereal will join Hovercraft’s portfolio to expand the platform’s live, immersive and production capabilities for music, entertainment and corporate clients; deal terms and the seller were not disclosed.

Black Spade Acquisition II Co completed a business combination with The Generation Essentials Group (TGE), resulting in TGE's Class A ordinary shares and warrants beginning trading on the New York Stock Exchange and NYSE American under the tickers "TGE" and "TGE WS" on June 5, 2025. The SPAC transaction followed approval by Black Spade II shareholders; Black Spade II became a wholly owned subsidiary of TGE. The Generation Essentials Group — a France-headquartered media, entertainment and hospitality platform jointly established by AMTD Group, AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital — will use the public listing to support its growth and operations.

Macmillan Publishers has acquired the book, e-book, audiobook, and audio original catalogs of Sounds True. Books and e-books will be published under St. Martin's Essentials and audio content by Macmillan Audio, while Sounds True will concentrate on its direct-to-consumer platform, online learning, events, and digital media.

Billionaire investor Mark Walter has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, following unanimous approval from the NBA Board of Governors. Jeanie Buss will remain Governor and oversee day-to-day operations as Walter integrates the franchise into his TWG Global sports portfolio to expand its sports and entertainment platform.

ICARO Media Group, an AI-driven media technology company based in New York, has acquired Europe-based LiftMedia for $15 million to expand its Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) footprint in Europe. The deal combines LiftMedia's elevator-screen DOOH network with ICARO's AI-powered advertising and engagement platforms to deliver hyper-targeted, multiscreen advertising across LATAM, Europe and North America.

Givebutter, the all-in-one nonprofit fundraising and CRM platform, has acquired We Are For Good, a media, education, and community ecosystem for nonprofit leaders. The acquisition combines Givebutter's fundraising technology with We Are For Good's podcast, newsletter, and global meetups to deliver integrated education, community, and fundraising tools for nonprofit professionals.

Ari Emanuel’s holding company MARI has acquired TodayTix Group from Great Hill Partners. The deal brings TodayTix's digital ticketing and e-commerce capabilities into MARI’s global events and experiences portfolio to expand its consumer distribution and live-event technology capabilities.

Exceleration Music has acquired the catalog and catalog operations of Los Angeles-based indie label Dangerbird Records, covering roughly 120 albums and more than 30 artists; financial terms were not disclosed. Exceleration will handle promotion and distribution through Redeye Worldwide, and Dangerbird president Jenni Sperandeo will step down after a transition.

Vistage Worldwide, Inc. has acquired Smart Business Network (SBN), a Cleveland-based media and events company known for its Smart Business publications and Dealmakers conference series. The acquisition expands Vistage's content and events capabilities to better support CEOs and business owners navigating transactions; SBN co-founder Fred Koury will remain to guide the transition as Lee Koury becomes Managing Director.

Africa online travel group Wakanow has acquired Nairabox, a Nigerian digital event and cinema ticketing app, to integrate entertainment and ticketing into its lifestyle ecosystem. The founders will join Wakanow's group structure with Tobi Andero leading Nairabox as Head of Business; financial terms were not disclosed.

Intralot S.A. has completed the acquisition of Bally's International Interactive (formerly Gamesys Group) for an enterprise value of €2.7 billion. The consideration included €1.53 billion in cash and €1.136 billion in newly issued Intralot shares, resulting in Bally's Corporation holding a 58% equity stake in Intralot; the deal positions the combined business as a global iGaming and lottery leader and unlocks significant liquidity for Bally's.

Paramount Skydance has acquired The Free Press, the digital media outlet founded by Bari Weiss, in a stock-and-cash deal reported to value the outlet at roughly $150 million. Bari Weiss will remain CEO and editor‑in‑chief of The Free Press and will also take on the role of editor‑in‑chief at CBS News, reporting directly to Paramount Skydance chair and CEO David Ellison.

Ross Video has acquired ioversal, the creator of the Vertex immersive AV production suite, to expand into experiential technologies and strengthen its end-to-end live production ecosystem. The deal brings ioversal’s media-server, interactive control and immersive experience capabilities into Ross’s product portfolio, enabling deeper integration of video, audio, lighting and control for interactive exhibits, live entertainment and large-scale productions.

Siyata Mobile Inc. completed its merger with Core Gaming, closing on October 3, 2025; the combined company was renamed Core AI Holdings, Inc. Under the terms of the transaction Siyata issued shares to Core Gaming shareholders and Core Gaming will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the combined company, with Aitan Zacharin as CEO and the new company to begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker CHAI following a 1-for-4 reverse stock split. Core Gaming reported fiscal 2024 revenues of $79 million and the combined business will pursue an AI-driven expansion of its mobile gaming and broader software offerings.

Arctos announced the launch of Arctos Capital Markets (ACM) and said ACM successfully facilitated the sale of a controlling interest in the Tampa Bay Lightning to a newly formed investor group including Blue Owl Capital and private investors Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz. Jeff Vinik and Vinik Sports Group sold the stake while Vinik will retain control for a transition period.

CasinoRIX, a Toronto-based online casino review and comparison platform, has acquired Innovate Change, a New Zealand real‑money casino review site. The deal gives CasinoRIX a direct presence in New Zealand, retains Innovate Change's editorial and operations teams, and supports CasinoRIX's international expansion and responsible‑gambling initiatives.

People Inc. (the rebranded Dotdash Meredith) has acquired Feedfeed, a 12-year-old food publisher and creator network with more than 7 million social followers and roughly 1,000 influencer partners. Feedfeed will retain its branding, its roughly dozen employees will join People Inc., and it will roll up under People Inc.'s food and drink vertical; financial terms were not disclosed.

NEP Group has acquired Dubai-based Seven Production to expand its live production and broadcasting services across the Middle East. Seven Production will join NEP Middle East and Asia, with Pierre Tabet continuing as managing director; terms were not disclosed.

Civica Media, a new publishing platform backed by private equity firm BlackBern Partners, has acquired Greenleaf Book Group and Amplify Publishing Group to create a leading hybrid and thought-leadership book publisher. Graycliff Partners provided a unitranche debt facility and a minority equity investment to support the transaction; both acquired brands will continue to operate under their existing leadership while sharing Civica’s editorial, production, marketing, distribution, and analytics capabilities.

Veylan, an AI-native operating system for advertising, has acquired Advisr, a sales operating platform used by local media organizations. The acquisition brings Advisr's media sales expertise and customer footprint into Veylan, with Advisr CEO Quique Nagle appointed Chief Operating Officer of the combined company to lead operations and integration.

Baker Publishing Group has acquired Lexham Press, the in-house publishing division of Logos, deepening the companies' longstanding partnership and expanding Baker's academic and Christian living catalog. Logos will retain rights to Lexham Press content within the Logos platform so it can focus on its digital Bible study business.

CloserStill Media has acquired Billington CyberSecurity, the U.S.-based organiser of leading public-sector cybersecurity conferences and year-round leadership programs. The deal (terms undisclosed) strengthens CloserStill's North American events portfolio and expands its cybersecurity and government-focused event offerings; Billington's leadership team will remain in place.

GameSquare Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: GAME) agreed to acquire Click Management, a talent and creator management agency, for $8.5 million plus contingent earnouts. The deal is intended to expand GameSquare’s talent management and creator-led offerings, and is expected to be accretive to profitability beginning in 2025.

Angel Studios, a Provo-based media and technology company, completed its business combination with special purpose acquisition company Southport Acquisition Corporation and will trade on the NYSE under the ticker ANGX. The transaction provided Angel with access to public markets and capital to accelerate growth, and the company secured a $100 million credit facility to support expansion of its Angel Guild and content distribution initiatives.

Independent agencies Empower Media and Ocean Media have merged to create Empower Ocean Media Group, becoming the second-largest independent media agency group in the U.S. The combined business will manage approximately $1.5 billion in media billings, centralize technology and procurement, and operate with ~400 professionals across New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to deliver expanded media-buying scale and data-driven capabilities.

Llama Group SA's Extraordinary General Meeting approved issuance of subscription rights and ratified a loan agreement with Maxximum SA, including the contribution of Maxximum SA's receivables in exchange for shares. The share issuance to Maxximum SA will be carried out at a later stage (no later than December 31, 2025) as part of measures to strengthen Llama Group's financing structure.

Dominus Capital has acquired Creative Outdoor Advertising (COA) from Fulcrum Capital Partners, marking Fulcrum’s first exit from Fund VI. COA, headquartered in Gormley, Ontario, is a leading North American provider of street-level furniture out-of-home advertising and will partner with Dominus to pursue continued growth and market expansion.

Marketplace Events has acquired the Cincinnati Travel, Sport & Boat Show from Cincinnati Shows, Inc., a division of Renfro Productions. The long-running consumer show (66 years) will continue to be operated by the Renfro Productions management team led by Kevin Renfro and will next run in January 2026 at the renovated Duke Energy Convention Center.

Funds advised by Searchlight Capital Partners have made a strategic growth investment in Chord Music Partners to support expansion of its recorded music and publishing catalogs and to accelerate acquisition activity. The investment will strengthen Chord's ability to identify and execute new music-IP acquisitions and support continued growth of its platform backed by strategic relationships including Universal Music Group.

Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) has acquired 100% of Generis Group, a Toronto-based organizer of executive-level B2B summits. The purchase adds Generis’s one-to-one matchmaking summit format and expands Emerald’s executive-summit portfolio across the U.S. and Europe to drive greater high-value networking and sponsor-led lead generation.

AIG (American International Group) has taken a minority equity stake in Salford City FC and become the club's long-term commercial partner. The investment will support stadium infrastructure upgrades, digital fan engagement initiatives, and expanded community programming across Greater Manchester.

Skydance Media, supported by investor RedBird Capital Partners and an investor group, completed a merger with Paramount Global to form a standalone public company, Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY). The transaction combines Paramount's content library and distribution network with Skydance's production and technology capabilities, with a focus on capturing synergies across studios, direct-to-consumer streaming and TV media.

BridgeTower Media has acquired Grace Media, the publisher of Window Fashion VISION and producer of the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE). The acquisition expands BridgeTower's B2B media and events portfolio into the window coverings and home-furnishings vertical; Grace McNamara (founder) is exiting and Ania Munzer will remain in her leadership role. Financial terms were not disclosed; Grace Media was represented by Franklin Partners and Winthrop & Weinstine.

The Seneca Nation, through its business arm Seneca Holdings, LLC, has purchased the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League; terms were not disclosed. The acquisition preserves the franchise in Rochester after the Pegula family chose to sell and aligns the team with the Seneca Nation’s cultural and community-focused objectives.