Recent Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in Colorado
Acquisition Volume in Media & Entertainment in Colorado by Year
Last 5 years
Colorado’s media & entertainment acquisitions from 2021–2025 span both big-platform deals and boutique, founder-led transactions across publishing, events, and digital media. Buyers range from established media and travel brands to specialist investors and niche operators.
Across the listed transactions, deal rationales often center on expanding content catalogs, scaling digital offerings, and broadening reach through owned audiences and platforms. Examples include Macmillan Publishers building out book and audio catalogs through Sounds True, and 5280 Elevated acquiring 5280 Magazine to grow the brand into a broader multimedia presence.
The Colorado activity also reflects sports and audience-driven media assets. MSP Sports Capital and Tony Hawk acquired X Games with an emphasis on operational control and fan-experience expansion, while Tripadvisor, Inc. moved to acquire Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings as part of a merger that makes Liberty TripAdvisor an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor.
What Stands Out
- Publishing and audio catalog consolidation: Macmillan Publishers acquired Sounds True’s publishing and audio catalogs, with content routed through Macmillan imprints and Macmillan Audio.
- Growth through digital and media transformation: 5280 Elevated plans to expand 5280 Magazine’s digital offerings and broaden it into a multimedia brand.
- Sports and entertainment IP with audience strategy: MSP Sports Capital acquired X Games, with ESPN retaining a minority stake and staying the domestic linear broadcast partner under a multi-year agreement.
- Event and audiovisual services expansion: Tonka Bay Equity Partners LLC backed Image Audiovisuals (Image AV), which provides event production and audiovisual rental services for live, virtual, and hybrid events.
| Buyer (recurring) | Typical play seen in Colorado deals |
|---|---|
| Media platforms & publishers | Acquire content catalogs / strengthen owned distribution |
| Portfolio operators & investors | Minority growth or operating-unit integration |
| Brands with audience ecosystems | Merge or acquire to consolidate reach and offerings |
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- Buyer
- Macmillan Publishers
- Target
- Sounds True
- Seller
- Sounds True
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Divestiture
Macmillan Publishers has acquired the book, e-book, audiobook, and audio original catalogs of Sounds True. Books and e-books will be published under St. Martin's Essentials and audio content by Macmillan Audio, while Sounds True will concentrate on its direct-to-consumer platform, online learning, events, and digital media.
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- Buyer
- Tripadvisor, Inc.
- Target
- Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc.
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Tripadvisor, Inc. acquired Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. via a merger in which a subsidiary of Tripadvisor merged with and into Liberty TripAdvisor, with Liberty TripAdvisor becoming an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor. The deal closed on April 29, 2025 and included cash consideration of about $20 million for Liberty TripAdvisor common shares and about $42.5 million for its preferred stock, plus redemption/repayment of exchangeable debentures.
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- Buyer
- Charity Huff, 5280 Elevated, Inc.
- Target
- 5280 Magazine
- Seller
- Daniel Brogan
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Denver entrepreneur Charity Huff, through her company 5280 Elevated, Inc., has acquired longtime city magazine 5280 from founder Daniel Brogan. The acquisition, financed by FirstBank, will keep the existing local team in place while expanding the magazine's digital offerings and transforming 5280 into a broader multimedia brand.
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- Buyer
- DIRECTV
- Target
- EchoStar’s video distribution business (DISH DBS), DISH TV, Sling TV
- Seller
- EchoStar Corporation
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
DIRECTV and EchoStar entered into a definitive agreement under which DIRECTV will acquire EchoStar’s video distribution business, DISH DBS, including DISH TV and Sling TV, via a debt exchange transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and successful completion of the DISH DBS exchange offer and pre-closing reorganization.
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July 8, 2024
- Buyer
- The Knot Worldwide
- Target
- Simply Eloped
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
The Knot Worldwide has acquired the business of Simply Eloped, a U.S.-based online platform for elopements and microweddings. Simply Eloped's team, including founder Janessa White, will continue operating the brand within The Knot Worldwide portfolio to expand its offerings for couples seeking intimate wedding experiences.
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April 2, 2024
- Buyer
- Tonka Bay Equity Partners LLC
- Target
- Image Audiovisuals (Image AV)
- Seller
- Dave Mueller, Diana Mueller
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Growth capital
Tonka Bay Equity Partners has made a minority growth investment in Image Audiovisuals (Image AV), partnering with founders Dave and Diana Mueller to accelerate a national expansion plan. Image AV, headquartered in Denver, provides event production and audiovisual equipment rental services for live, virtual, and hybrid events across corporate, association, institutional and government customers.
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February 12, 2024
- Buyer
- BridgeTower Media, Transom Capital Group
- Target
- ColoradoBiz
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Addon
BridgeTower Media, a portfolio company of Transom Capital Group, has acquired ColoradoBiz, the largest business publication serving the state of Colorado since 1973. BridgeTower said it will leverage its audience platform, digital capabilities and events expertise to accelerate growth and expand ColoradoBiz’s reach in the Rocky Mountain market.
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January 10, 2023
- Buyer
- The Futurum Group
- Target
- Dash Network
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
The Futurum Group has acquired a majority interest in Dash Network, an integrated B2B research, media, and advisory firm focused on SaaS, AI, and customer experience (CX). Dash Network will operate as an operating unit within The Futurum Group, expanding Futurum’s research, media, and advisory capabilities in CX and related technology markets.
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October 26, 2022
- Buyer
- MSP Sports Capital, Tony Hawk
- Target
- X Games
- Seller
- ESPN Productions, Inc., ESPN, Inc.
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
MSP Sports Capital acquired a majority (controlling) interest in the X Games from ESPN Productions, Inc., with ESPN retaining a minority, non-controlling stake and remaining the domestic linear broadcast partner under a multi-year agreement. MSP will assume day-to-day operational control of the X Games, appointing Steven Flisler as CEO, and has enlisted Tony Hawk as a brand steward as it seeks to reinvigorate the action-sports property and expand fan experiences.
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- Buyer
- SolarReviews.com
- Target
- Fixr.com, FIXR NETWORKS SLU
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
SolarReviews.com has acquired Fixr.com along with its Spanish subsidiary FIXR NETWORKS SLU. The deal expands SolarReviews' consumer content and lead‑generation capabilities from residential solar into the broader home improvement and renovation vertical and gives the company a European foothold via Fixr's Alicante office.
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- Buyer
- National Livestock
- Target
- Crow Publications, Inc. (Western Livestock Journal)
- Seller
- Crow Publications, Inc. (Crow family), Pete Crow (former owner)
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
National Livestock acquired Crow Publications, Inc., publisher of the Western Livestock Journal, in a transaction that closed January 14, 2022. The sale transfers ownership from the Crow family—who had run the publication for three generations—to National Livestock to support growth and expanded resources for the century-old livestock news outlet.
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January 4, 2022
- Buyer
- Emerald Holding, Inc.
- Target
- MJBiz
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE:EEX) completed the acquisition of MJBiz, the leading B2B event and content platform serving the cannabis and hemp industries. Emerald paid $120 million in initial consideration (with potential contingent payments), acquiring a business that generated roughly $27 million of revenue in 2021; MJBiz management will remain with the business to continue operations.
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- Buyer
- RV Health, Red Ventures
- Target
- Healthgrades.com
- Seller
- Mercury Healthcare
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Divestiture
RV Health, a Red Ventures business, has acquired Healthgrades.com from Mercury Healthcare. The deal transfers the consumer-facing Healthgrades marketplace and its ~200+ employees to RV Health while Mercury Healthcare will focus on its enterprise software and data analytics business under the Mercury Healthcare brand.
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May 11, 2021
- Buyer
- Verbit
- Target
- VITAC
- Seller
- The Gores Group
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Verbit has acquired VITAC, the largest provider of captioning products and solutions in North America, creating the world's largest AI-powered transcription and captioning platform. The combination expands Verbit's capabilities and market reach across media, education, legal, government, and corporate sectors and brings together VITAC’s decades of captioning expertise with Verbit’s AI-driven transcription technology.
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- Buyer
- B&W Communications LLC (Betterment & Wonderment Communications LLC), Andrew Clurman and fellow investors
- Target
- Active Interest Media
- Seller
- Wind Point Partners
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Colorado, United States
- Type
- Buyout
B&W Communications (Betterment & Wonderment Communications), a newly formed company led by longtime AIM CEO and co-founder Andrew Clurman and fellow investors, has acquired 100% of Active Interest Media from Wind Point Partners. AIM will remain headquartered in Boulder, Colorado and plans to accelerate product development, reinvention and new audience engagement across its magazines, events and digital platforms.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of media & entertainment deals appear in Colorado from 2021–2025?
The page highlights acquisitions and investments across publishing and audio catalogs, digital media and platforms, business/media publications, and event production/audiovisual services—plus sports and entertainment properties like X Games.
Which Colorado deals involve publishing or audio content?
Macmillan Publishers acquired Sounds True’s book, e-book, audiobook, and audio original catalogs. The deal also outlines where books and audio content will be published under Macmillan brands.
Are there examples of acquisitions focused on digital audiences or multimedia expansion?
Yes. 5280 Elevated acquired 5280 Magazine and plans to expand the magazine’s digital offerings and transform it into a broader multimedia brand.
Do any transactions relate to sports or broadcast partnerships?
Yes. MSP Sports Capital acquired a controlling interest in X Games, while ESPN retained a minority stake and remains the domestic linear broadcast partner under a multi-year agreement.