Ari Emanuel is adding Broadway and West End ticketing company TodayTix to his portfolio with an acquisition through his latest holding company, Mari.
After acquiring Frieze, the Madrid Open and the Miami Open at launch, Mari has now bought TodayTix, Secret Cinema and Show-Score from Great Hill Partners at an undisclosed price.
“This is the next step in building Mari as a global leader in live experiences,” Emanuel said in a statement. “With TodayTix, we’re adding a technology engine and a direct line to audiences that makes our portfolio even more powerful. Alongside sport, art, and lifestyle, theatre and immersive performance now sit at the core of what we do – expanding our reach and deepening how we connect people with defining live experiences.”
TodayTix CEO Brian Fenty co-founded the company with Secret Cinema artistic director Merritt Baer — and both will remain with Mari.
“Over the past decade, we’ve built a platform that audiences lean on, theatres trust, and producers depend upon. We’ve always believed the future of live entertainment would be shaped by elevated, singular experiences amplified with technology that removes friction and elevates the hospitality experience throughout. Mari shares that belief and the ambition to scale at pace,” Fenty added in a statement. “Together, we will elevate user experience, empower creators, and redefine the event-level offering in ways the world hasn’t yet seen, with purpose-built AI for the future of events.”
Mari’s catalog of live events properties also includes IMG’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, Mubadala Citi DC Open and SP Open, the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, MGM Macau Tennis Masters and the management of major ATP tournaments like the Chengdu Open, Hong Kong Open, Japan Open and Rio Open, as well as a majority stake in automotive auction house Barrett-Jackson.
Emanuel’s latest venture is backed by $2 billion in funding from a group of investors, including funds managed by Apollo, RedBird Capital Partners, Qatar Investment Authority, HSG, IMI media group, Ares Management funds, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a16z Growth, Nancy Zhang, FORTA Advisors, Main Street Advisors, Causeway Media Partners, Gannet Capital, Eric Schmidt, FMZ Ventures, Sideline Group, Curated Wealth Partners, Gaurav Kapadia, Bulat Utemuratov and Sanjay Govil. It also includes sports superstars Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards and Sabrina Ionescu.
