Ari Emanuel to Buy Frieze as Endeavor Sell-Off Continues

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Following the completion of the Silver Lake buyout, Endeavor Group Holdings is persistently disposing of its non-essential properties. Ari Emanuel remains the most active purchaser in these transactions.

On Thursday, the company announced that they have reached an agreement to transfer ownership of Frieze to a recently established events and experiences firm led by Emanuel, with financial backing from a group of investors. Frieze runs international art fairs, in addition to managing editorial and digital art platforms.

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The company disclosed on Thursday that it has consented to sell Frieze to a freshly launched events and experiences business spearheaded by Emanuel, and backed by a coalition of financiers. Frieze manages international art fairs, along with providing editorial and digital art platforms.

Under their new management, Simon Fox and his team will carry on running the business.

Emanuel expressed that Frieze has consistently served as a wellspring of inspiration, both professionally and personally. In a statement, he mentioned that after working with the team for almost a decade, he’s had a front-row view of their strong community and the determination fueling their goal to broaden the horizons of modern art. He believes Frieze is poised for even more growth, making it a vital strategic pillar in our emerging global events network.

Silver Lake’s focus with the take-private action was primarily on the newly formed WME Group (formerly known as WME). As a result, Endeavor has either sold or is in the process of selling its other assets, while some assets belonging to WME are also being divested to address potential conflicts of interest.

Previously, Endeavor disposed of PBR, IMG, On Location, and later OpenBet and IMG Arena to TKO, where they maintain a significant ownership share. SportRadar subsequently acquired IMG Arena as part of another transaction. Recently, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Emanuel was among the new owners of WME’s basketball representation division, given that WME is addressing potential conflicts of interest issues with Silver Lake and Michael Dell. Currently, WME is discussing the future of its baseball representation business, while it has already sold off its football division to Patrick Whitesell.

As Frieze gets sold off, it seems that the count of businesses outside WME is diminishing. What remains appear to be significant live events like the Madrid Open and Miami Open tennis tournaments, along with assets related to fashion weeks.

Emanuel is seen as a likely bidder for those assets.

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2025-05-01 16:54