Recent Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in Utah
Acquisition Volume in Media & Entertainment in Utah by Year
Last 5 years
Utah-based media and entertainment acquisitions spanning 2020–2025 highlight how buyers are investing across the value chain—from content production and digital platforms to live event venues and audience membership products.
Across recent transactions, several deal themes stand out: scaling distribution (public markets or new markets), expanding content and programming capabilities, and using editorial or platform assets to grow subscriber communities. Examples include AEG Presents (Anschutz Entertainment Group) acquiring Salt Lake City’s The Complex and Genius Group Limited acquiring Utah’s Revealed Films Inc.
The geography is firmly anchored in Utah, with multiple deals specifically tied to Utah, United States. At the same time, the investment focus frequently points outward—such as national expansions tied to membership audiences or platform growth supported by capital infusions and integration plans.
What Stands Out
- Utah, United States is a consistent deal location, including Provo/Utah-based Angel Studios, Inc. and Salt Lake City venue The Complex.
- Buyers appear to target both live programming (e.g., AEG Presents (Anschutz Entertainment Group)) and content/digital media (e.g., Genius Group Limited with Revealed Films Inc.).
- Platform and audience growth features in multiple deals, including growth equity in Chess.com by General Atlantic and community/content integration at CURE Media Group/MJH Life Sciences.
- Membership and distribution models also show up, as seen in the Pogo Pass/GetOutPass merger and Greybull Stewardship’s acquisition of Pogo Pass.
| Deal theme | Notable examples (Utah) |
|---|---|
| Live events & venues | AEG Presents (Anschutz Entertainment Group) → The Complex |
| Content production & filmmaking | Genius Group Limited → Revealed Films Inc. |
| Digital community & subscriptions | General Atlantic → Chess.com; Blackstone → Ancestry |
| Membership passes & distribution | GetOutPass/Pogo Pass merger; Greybull Stewardship → Pogo Pass |
-
September 10, 2025
- Buyer
- Angel Studios, Inc., Southport Acquisition Corporation
- Target
- Angel Studios, Inc.
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Angel Studios completed its business combination with Southport Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company. The combined company will operate as Angel Studios, Inc., and its shares are expected to begin trading on the NYSE under ticker “ANGX.”
-
- Buyer
- AEG Presents (Anschutz Entertainment Group)
- Target
- The Complex
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
AEG Presents, part of Anschutz Entertainment Group, has acquired The Complex, a large music and event venue in Salt Lake City. The Complex's existing staff will be retained as AEG integrates the venue into its nationwide portfolio to expand live-music programming and event capabilities in Utah.
-
February 24, 2025
- Buyer
- GetOutPass/Pogo Pass
- Target
- Pogo Pass, GetOutPass
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Pogo Pass and GetOutPass announced a strategic merger to combine their family-entertainment membership platforms into a single, larger company (branded in the release as GetOutPass/Pogo Pass). The combined business spans 33 markets and ~2,300 venues with over 300,000 active passes and aims to drive more foot traffic to venue partners, enter new markets, and enhance subscription value; financial terms were not disclosed.
-
March 27, 2024
- Buyer
- Greybull Stewardship
- Target
- Pogo Pass
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Greybull Stewardship, a private investment firm based in Jackson, Wyoming, has acquired Pogo Pass, a national provider of family entertainment membership passes. Financial terms were not disclosed; Greybull said it will support Pogo Pass’s expansion into new markets including Houston, Texas and the Emerald Coast, Florida while working with the company’s founders to scale the business.
-
October 4, 2022
- Buyer
- Genius Group Limited
- Target
- Revealed Films Inc.
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Genius Group Limited acquired Revealed Films Inc., a Utah-based documentary and film production company, in a transaction valued at $10 million plus earnouts. The deal (closed October 4, 2022) will allow Genius Group to expand its content production capabilities and integrate high-quality entrepreneurial and instructional video content into its lifelong learning curriculum.
-
January 14, 2022
- Buyer
- General Atlantic
- Target
- Chess.com
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Growth capital
General Atlantic has made a significant growth equity investment in Chess.com, one of the world’s largest online chess platforms; terms were not disclosed. The capital will support Chess.com’s international expansion, product development, and community growth — the company reports roughly 75 million registered users and about 300 full-time team members.
-
August 31, 2021
- Buyer
- CURE Media Group, MJH Life Sciences
- Target
- Cancer Horizons
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
CURE Media Group, a brand of MJH Life Sciences, has acquired Cancer Horizons, a self-funded online resource for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. The acquisition will integrate Cancer Horizons' community-focused content with CURE's editorial platforms to expand reach and deliver more cancer news, resources and patient-focused education.
-
October 1, 2020
- Buyer
- Charles Thayne Capital
- Target
- World Archives
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Growth capital
Charles Thayne Capital, a growth-oriented private investment firm, has acquired World Archives, the operator of NewspaperArchive.com. The firm is partnering with former Ancestry.com executives Kendall Hulet (CEO) and Brandon Camp (CMO) to accelerate product and subscriber growth for the historical newspaper and genealogy platform.
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August 5, 2020
- Buyer
- Blackstone
- Target
- Ancestry
- Seller
- Silver Lake, GIC, Spectrum Equity, Permira, Other equity holders
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Location
- Utah, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Blackstone's private equity funds have entered a definitive agreement to acquire Ancestry from Silver Lake, GIC, Spectrum Equity, Permira and other equity holders for an enterprise value of $4.7 billion; GIC will retain a significant minority stake. Blackstone said it will partner with Ancestry's management to invest in data, product development and global expansion of the company's family history and consumer genomics platform, which has more than 3 million paying subscribers and roughly $1 billion in annual revenue.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of media and entertainment acquisitions are happening in Utah?
Recent deals in Utah cover both digital media platforms (e.g., online content and community subscriptions) and physical media businesses like live event venues, plus membership/entertainment pass models.
Which firms appear repeatedly across Utah media & entertainment deals?
Several recurring buyers are listed, including Blackstone, General Atlantic, AEG Presents (Anschutz Entertainment Group), CURE Media Group/MJH Life Sciences, Genius Group Limited, and Charles Thayne Capital.
Are these deals limited to Utah-based targets?
Many transactions are explicitly tied to Utah, United States (such as Angel Studios, Inc. and The Complex). Some strategies in the deal summaries also reference expansion beyond Utah, depending on the business model.
What deal themes show up across the 2020–2025 transactions?
Common themes include scaling distribution and growth (public-market access or growth capital), expanding content production/programming capabilities, and strengthening audience communities through subscription, editorial, or membership offerings.