Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in Ohio

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company completed a previously announced merger with an affiliate of HOFV Holdings, LLC and is now privately owned by HOFV Holdings. The take-private transaction is intended to provide the company greater flexibility to pursue long-term growth and continued investment in its Hall of Fame Village destination operations.

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.

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.

New York City-based Seven Stories Press has acquired Columbus, Ohio–based independent publisher Two Dollar Radio; financial terms were not disclosed and the deal was finalized April 1, 2025. Two Dollar Radio founders Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf become minority partners while retaining ownership of the Two Dollar Radio Headquarters bookstore; Penguin Random House Distribution Services will handle U.S., Canada and global distribution beginning January 1, 2026.

Shout! Studios has acquired independent distributor Gravitas Ventures, adding more than 3,300 film and television titles to its catalogue while operating both companies as distinct brands. The deal — which involved Shout! Studios’ backer Oaktree Capital Management and the former owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment — was announced with financial terms undisclosed and positions Shout! to expand its multi-platform distribution and FAST/channel offerings.

Clarion Capital Partners has acquired Marketplace Events, the largest organizer of B2C shows in North America, operating more than 110 shows across the U.S. and Canada and attracting over 2.2 million attendees annually. The transaction (completed from Clarion's Fund IV) was financed in part by PennantPark; Clarion said it will accelerate Marketplace's growth and expand its sport, outdoor and new B2B show offerings.

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.

Five Star Parks & Attractions has acquired Scene 75, adding all five of Scene 75’s Midwest family entertainment center locations to its portfolio. The deal expands Five Star’s portfolio to 25 family entertainment centers across 12 states and strengthens its position in the FEC market.

Active Interest Media (AIM) acquired the assets of Kovels, Inc., the long-running antiques and collectibles publisher and online price-guide. The acquisition combines Kovels with AIM's Antique Trader to create a larger collectibles media offering and expand AIM's content, audience and services for collectors and dealers.

Future plc has acquired Gardening Know How, a leading online gardening content publisher, strengthening Future's position in the home interest category and expanding its US audience reach. The acquisition adds Gardening Know How's extensive evergreen gardening content and community (over 16,000 articles and ~180 million annual users) to Future's Home network, enabling greater monetization through Future's technology and SEO capabilities.

Penguin Random House Audio, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, has acquired Playaway Products LLC, a maker of pre-loaded audiobook players and other educational devices. Playaway Products will remain a stand-alone company based in Solon, Ohio, with its CEO reporting to Penguin Random House Audio leadership as the publisher acts as a strategic partner to grow institutional and educational distribution.

Denver-based private equity firm Mountaingate Capital completed an investment in WTWH Media, a Cleveland-based B2B digital media and marketing platform. The transaction establishes WTWH as a Mountaingate platform company to accelerate growth organically and through selective strategic acquisitions.

Buildout, a Chicago-based commercial real estate (CRE) software platform backed by The Riverside Company, has acquired Oval Room Group, a national CRE visual media solutions provider. The add-on expands Buildout's marketing capabilities by integrating Oval Room's photography, videography, virtual tours and other visual media services into Buildout's CRE marketing and deal-management platform.

Ex Populus, a Web3 gaming studio and publisher, has acquired LAMO, a multimedia IP that includes a PC game, augmented reality experiences, and a collectible toy line. The acquisition brings LAMO's IP and development talent into Ex Populus' Web3 ecosystem to expand its gaming portfolio and phygital/Metaverse capabilities.

Beemok Capital, the family office of Benjamin W. Navarro, has entered into a definitive agreement and completed the acquisition of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament from the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The purchase expands Beemok's tennis portfolio (which includes the Credit One Charleston Open and regional tennis complexes) and includes plans to invest in the event's long-term growth; Beemok also named Todd Martin Head of Tennis for Beemok Sports.

RWS Entertainment Group has acquired JRA, a Cincinnati-based attraction design and creative studio, expanding RWS into a full-service provider of design, production, performance and operations for attractions and branded experiences. JRA founder Keith James will remain as President of JRA as the combined company pursues global growth across theme parks, museums, cruise ships, resorts and other venues.

Seaport Capital, alongside Gray Television and a group of investors, provided growth capital to form Family Entertainment Holdings (FEH), a Medina, Ohio–based holding company for live family entertainment brands. The investment will scale FEH’s first two formats — Magic of Lights and Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live — and support geographic expansion and platform growth under CEO Ken Hudgens.

OpenExchange Inc., a provider of video-enabled virtual event solutions, announced it will acquire Veracast Communications, a Dublin, Ohio-based webcasting and live streaming provider. The combined business will integrate Veracast’s purpose-built webcast platform with OpenExchange’s conferencing and managed services to expand capabilities and scale virtual event production globally.

Clair Global (Lititz, PA) has acquired Eighth Day Sound Systems, Inc. (Cleveland, OH). Eighth Day will continue to operate under its brand and management as a stand-alone business within the Clair Global umbrella, enhancing Clair Global's touring support and installation capabilities.

Emerald Expositions, LLC acquired three design- and event-focused brands — Healthcare Design (conference + magazine), Environments For Aging (EFA), and Construction SuperConference (CSC) — from Vendome Group, LLC. The brands and team (based in Cleveland, Ohio) will join Emerald's Design Group; financial terms were not disclosed and Berkery Noyes represented Vendome.