Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel has struck a roughly £4.5bn deal to buy ATG Entertainment, the theatre group behind West End venues like the Lyceum and the Savoy. The acquisition is the largest to date by Emanuel’s Mari Group, launched last year with $2bn of equity financing from investors including Apollo, Red Bird Capital and the Qatar Investment Authority..dir

ATG’s portfolio includes Broadway venues such as the Walter Kerr Theatre and the Lyric Theatre, currently showing *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*. Since its purchase for £350mn in 2013, Providence Equity has expanded ATG from 40 to 70 venues across the UK, US and Europe. The sale will be one of the private‑equity firm’s most successful exits, after it pumped in over £50mn during pandemic closures.

Mari’s expansion also covers the Frieze Festival, the Miami Open tennis tournament and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Emanuel, who chairs WME Group and leads IMG, TKO Group, UFC and WWE, sees the deal as a long‑term bet on the двери growing power of live experience.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.