Round Room Live, one of the world’s top family entertainment producers, has announced that founders and executives, Stephen Shaw and Jonathan Linden, have completed a management buyout of its lead investor, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. The acquisition was backed by Manhattan West, a Los Angeles-based strategic investment firm.
“This deal is a significant milestone for Round Room, which has become one of the most dynamic live entertainment producers and promoters in the world,” said Stephen Shaw, Founder and Co-President. “This new partnership with Manhattan West will fuel our ambitious growth plans to distribute exciting entertainment experiences on a global scale.”
Led by Stephen Shaw and Jonathan Linden, Round Room Live has been hailed by Billboard as “the new leader in the family show entertainment space,” specializing in transforming intellectual property into engaging and thrilling live events. Round Room Live’s current roster of touring shows and exhibitions include: Baby Shark Live!, Blippi The Musical, Peppa Pig Live, Blue’s Clues & You! Live On Stage, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Mandela: The Official Exhibition, Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free and Formula 1: The Exhibition, which will launch early in 2023.
“We are excited to continue to grow this exceptional business together with our new partners at Manhattan West. eOne and Hasbro were a great home for Round Room starting in early 2018, and I want to thank Darren Throop and the eOne and Hasbro teams for their support and partnership. We look forward to continuing to work with Hasbro on live tours for some of its most iconic brands,” said Jonathan Linden, Co-President of Round Room.
“To partner with the world class management team at Round Room Live in order to grow the company and develop iconic live entertainment is an incredible opportunity for Manhattan West. As industry leaders in experiential entertainment, the Round Room team has our full support as they continue to expand their global footprint,” said Matt Gibbons, Managing Director and head of Private Equity at Manhattan West.
The share purchase deal closed on Friday October 21st.
For more information on Round Room Live’s touring theatrical productions or events and exhibitions, please visit roundroomlive.com.
About Round Room Live
Round Room Live is the leading producer and promoter of exhibitions and family show entertainment, specializing in transforming both new and iconic intellectual property into engaging and thrilling live events. Round Room creates unique live experiences tailored to the distinct character of each property and produces the highest quality productions for audiences around the world.
Their current roster of touring theatrical shows includes: Baby Shark Live!, Blippi The Musical, Peppa Pig Live, and Blue’s Clues & You! Live On Stage. Round Room’s Immersive and Entertainment Experiences division is currently touring: Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Mandela: The Official Exhibition, Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free, and Formula 1: The Exhibition, which is set to launch in early 2023.
