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Ari Emanuel’s events company MARI has just acquired TodayTix, one of the most widely used platforms for booking theater tickets in New York’s Broadway district and London’s West End. With this move, MARI broadens its reach into the world of live performance, adding a powerful digital player to its already expansive event portfolio.
A step deeper into live experiences
With events like the Miami Open, Mutua Madrid Open, the Frieze art fair, and the prestigious Barrett-Jackson collector car auction already under MARI’s umbrella, this acquisition isn’t just another business deal. It’s a deliberate shift. Ari Emanuel sees TodayTix as more than a ticketing platform—it’s a tech-savvy engine that can support MARI’s ambition of becoming a global leader in live experiences.
From an audience perspective, this could mean greater visibility and access to theater events, but also new ways of engaging with live performances via a stronger tech backbone. As a longtime theatergoer, I find the idea exciting. The theater world has often lagged behind in terms of user-friendly tech. If MARI can bring the ease of booking a concert or a sporting event into the theater space, it’s a real win.
A solid foundation and a familiar leadership
Importantly, the identity of TodayTix isn’t getting lost in the shuffle. Brian Fenty, its co-founder and current CEO, remains in place and is joining MARI’s executive team. That continuity is more than symbolic—it means the creative direction and the vision that built TodayTix into a trusted name won’t vanish overnight. To read Gwen Stefani headlines magical 2025 Disney Christmas Parade
His partner and fellow co-founder Merritt Baer will also stay on board as artistic director and producer at Secret Cinema, the immersive movie-themed event company TodayTix owns. If you’ve ever stepped into one of their alternate-reality experiences around films like Blade Runner or Stranger Things, you know just how ambitious and immersive their events can get. Their potential inside MARI is intriguing.
Technology as a key ingredient
What’s particularly setting this acquisition apart is its tech focus. TodayTix is much more than a storefront—it’s a recommendation engine, a dynamic pricing tool, and now, potentially, an AI-enhanced gateway to live performance.
According to Fenty, partnering with MARI will allow them to leverage artificial intelligence and other tools to make ticketing smoother, more intuitive, and better suited to audience behavior. It’s the kind of modernization the theater space sorely needs.
Here’s what this move could mean in practical terms:
- Smarter, faster booking experiences for users across web and mobile
- Better tools for producers to understand their audiences
- Dynamic ticket pricing in real time, helping fill seats
- Cross-event promotions between MARI properties and TodayTix users
Behind the deal
The acquisition was made through a purchase from private equity firm Great Hill Partners. On the legal and financial side, MARI was advised by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Moelis & Company and LionTree provided financial guidance, while Paul Hastings LLP acted for TodayTix and Great Hill Partners. To read Toho expands into Europe with bold anime distribution moves
This behind-the-scenes orchestration might seem distant to theater fans, but deals like this shape the way we’ll experience live shows tomorrow. As someone who has used TodayTix for years—to grab last-minute seats or discover artists off the beaten path—I can’t help but watch where this is heading with cautious optimism. The live experience has so much to gain from thoughtful tech integration, and if MARI and TodayTix get this right, they might just set a new standard.
