The Next Chapter After Endeavor
Ari Emanuel — one of the most influential figures in global sports and entertainment — has officially launched his new holding company, MARI, marking a bold new chapter after taking Endeavor private earlier this year in a $25 billion deal with Silver Lake.
MARI consolidates a suite of premium sports, art, and lifestyle assets previously under Endeavor Group Holdings. The company’s portfolio already reads like a showcase of modern culture and live entertainment:
- Tennis tournaments: Miami Open presented by Itaú, Mutua Madrid Open, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, Mubadala Citi DC Open, and the SP Open
- Art: Frieze, the international arts organization Emanuel acquired earlier this year
- Lifestyle and automotive: A majority stake in Barrett-Jackson, the iconic car auction and experiential brand
The deals officially closed alongside the company’s launch, establishing MARI as a multi-sector powerhouse bridging live events, art, and entertainment.
Leadership and Structure
Emanuel, who remains CEO of TKO Group Holdings and Executive Chairman of WME Group, is joined at MARI by several key figures:
- Mark Shapiro, WME and TKO partner — Principal Investor & Board Member
- Matt Cohn — Managing Partner
- Ben Enowitz — Chief Financial Officer
- Craig Jackson — continuing as Barrett-Jackson CEO
This leadership core reflects a blend of creative, commercial, and operational expertise drawn from across the live entertainment ecosystem.
A Billion-Dollar Investor Line-Up
MARI’s investor base includes some of the most powerful names in private equity, venture capital, and sports investment:
Apollo, RedBird Capital Partners, Qatar Investment Authority, Ares Management Funds, a16z Growth, Main Street Advisors, Causeway Media Partners, FORTA Advisors, Sideline Group, IMI Media Group, and HSG, among others.
Prominent individual investors include Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Eric Schmidt, and Gaurav Kapadia, alongside NBA stars Luka Dončić and Anthony Edwards and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu.
For the Miami Open acquisition, the ownership group of the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and Miami Grand Prix also joined the consortium — a strategic alignment that positions MARI firmly within Miami’s rapidly expanding live event and tourism economy.
“Experiences Over Things”: Emanuel’s Vision for MARI
In his statement, Ari Emanuel outlined MARI’s core philosophy:
“Live events and experiences have never been more powerful. As people increasingly value experiences over things—and as hybrid work and AI give us more time to enjoy them—sports, art, lifestyle, and entertainment are becoming even more essential. At MARI, we’re building on the global impact of Frieze and the success of the Madrid and Miami Opens to create new ways for audiences to come together and share their passions.”
MARI’s vision reflects the broader shift in global consumption — from product ownership to experiential participation — positioning the company at the intersection of sports, culture, and community engagement.
Strategic Context: From Endeavor to MARI
The launch of MARI follows Endeavor’s transformation into a private entity earlier this year.
- WME Group retained the agency’s core talent representation assets.
- TKO Group Holdings — which houses UFC, WWE, IMG, and PBR — remains a public entity.
- Other assets were sold or spun out, with Emanuel personally reacquiring select high-growth experiential properties such as the tennis tournaments and Frieze.
MARI thus represents Emanuel’s personal strategic vision — a focused, high-margin portfolio of global events built around participation, culture, and premium experiences.
Investor Reactions: Backing the Convergence Era
Rob Givone, Partner at Apollo, emphasized the long-term opportunity in this convergence:
“Live events and experiences are two key areas where our firm sees strong, continued growth. Apollo Sports Capital will work closely with MARI to unlock value across its existing assets and explore additional opportunities in live events and experiences.”
Gerry Cardinale, Founder and Managing Partner of RedBird Capital, added:
“Anchored by the iconic Miami and Madrid Tennis Opens and Frieze, MARI is positioned to capitalize on the convergence of premium intellectual property across sports and live entertainment—areas where RedBird brings domain leadership and business-building expertise.”
MARI’s creation reinforces the growing investor appetite for live IP ecosystems — assets that blend media rights, tourism, sponsorship, and fan experience into a single commercial model.
The Road Ahead: Redefining the Power of Live IP
With its blend of sports heritage, artistic excellence, and experiential ambition, MARI signals the next evolution in global entertainment economics.
By fusing the worlds of tennis, art fairs, and cultural festivals into a single strategic platform, Ari Emanuel is effectively building the modern holding company for live culture — one where the value lies not just in events, but in the emotional capital they generate.
As hybrid lifestyles reshape leisure and consumption, MARI’s model of cross-category convergence could set the tone for how live experiences — from stadiums to galleries — become the next major growth frontier of global sport and culture.
About 365247 Media:
365247 Media is a global platform decoding the business of sport, culture, and entertainment — delivering in-depth, original analysis on the strategies, investors, and innovators shaping the future of live experiences.
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