Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in Nevada

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.

Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management completed the acquisition of International Game Technology PLC’s Gaming & Digital business from Brightstar Lottery (formerly IGT). Brightstar received approximately $4.0 billion of net cash proceeds, which it will use to reduce near-term debt, return $1.1 billion to shareholders (a $3.00 per-share special dividend plus a $500 million repurchase authorization), and fund other corporate priorities; Brightstar will continue to trade as Brightstar Lottery (BRSL).

Hard Rock International has acquired a majority stake in Globe Entertainment and Media Corp. (GEM), one of the world’s largest private archives of music, celebrity and film photography with more than 15 million images and rare collectibles. The purchase adds GEM’s extensive visual archive to Hard Rock’s existing memorabilia collection and expands its capabilities in collectibles, licensing and guest experiences.

Gladstone Investment Corporation partnered with Scott Dunlop and Pyrotek’s executive management to acquire Pyrotek Special Effects on November 22, 2024, providing equity and senior secured debt to complete the transaction. Pyrotek, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a provider of special effects and event production services for live entertainment and will continue to be led by CEO Scott Dunlop.

Chimney Rock Equity Partners has made a strategic growth investment in 3G Productions LLC to support the Las Vegas-based live event production and systems-integration firm’s expansion into a national platform. Management and existing owners are reinvesting and will remain in place as Chimney Rock provides capital and resources to pursue organic growth and acquisitions.

Affiliates of Brightstar Capital Partners signed a definitive agreement to acquire PlayAGS, Inc. (NYSE: AGS) for $12.50 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately $1.1 billion. The transaction, approved by AGS stockholders and completed June 30, 2025, takes AGS private and is intended to support targeted investments in R&D, operations, and global expansion.

Evolution AB (publ), via its subsidiary Evolution Malta Holding Limited, agreed to acquire Galaxy Gaming, Inc. for approximately $85 million in cash, valuing the company at about $124 million including net debt. The deal strengthens Evolution's US presence and content portfolio by adding Galaxy's proprietary table games and technology; Galaxy's management and employees will be retained and the transaction is expected to close in mid-2025 subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.

Lavish Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Golden Triangle Ventures, has completed a full acquisition of ABI Create, a Las Vegas–based event management and production firm founded in 2015. The deal brings ABI’s event production, logistics, site planning and fabrication capabilities into Lavish’s operations to expand its live-event and festival production offerings.

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.

Global sports and entertainment agency Wasserman has acquired Caric Sports Management, bringing founder Steve Caric and director Molly McManimie into Wasserman’s NFL representation practice. The deal adds a roster of NFL players and a top women's soccer client to Wasserman as the firm continues to expand its talent-representation capabilities.

X1 Esports and Entertainment (CSE:XONE) has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire ShiftRLE, a Las Vegas–based online news outlet focused on the Rocket League esports community. The deal pays US$50,000 in cash, 333,333 common shares of X1 and a revenue-based earnout, and is intended to expand X1's video game media portfolio and reach into Gen Z audiences.

CyberRisk Alliance has acquired Identiverse, the annual Identity and Access Management (IAM) conference founded by Ping Identity, with Ping Identity remaining as a founding sponsor. The acquisition expands CRA’s events portfolio into the identity security market and positions Identiverse for broader reach and new business intelligence, content, and marketing partnership opportunities.

Acies Acquisition Corp. completed a business combination with PLAYSTUDIOS, resulting in the combined company changing its name to PLAYSTUDIOS, Inc. and beginning to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker MYPS. The transaction provides PLAYSTUDIOS with approximately $220 million in cash to accelerate product development and pursue acquisitions while scaling its playAWARDS loyalty platform.

IRIS Media Works, LLC has acquired Advisorpedia, a digital media and publishing company serving financial advisors. The merger will consolidate content and distribution under the Advisorpedia brand to accelerate delivery of educational and practice-building content for advisors.

Nexstar Inc., a subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, agreed to acquire BestReviews LLC from Tribune Publishing Company and BR Holding Company, Inc. for $160 million in cash. Tribune owned 60% and the founders (BR Holding) owned 40%; the deal strengthens Nexstar's digital content and commerce capabilities and is expected to close following customary approvals.

Remark Holdings sold Vegas.com, LLC to VDC-MGG Holdings LLC (an affiliate of Remark's senior lenders) for an enterprise value of $45 million. The $30 million cash proceeds will be used to pay amounts due to Remark's senior lenders, substantially reducing Remark's debt and enabling the company to focus on its transition to a pure-play AI business.