Happy Friday! It's Sophie Rose here with the Europe Wire from the London newsroom.
Live entertainment is “really well positioned” for the next five to ten 10 years, Christopher Belcher, director at Barron International Group, told PE Hub. The sector is becoming ever-more fertile ground for private equity, with a deal in the subsector already announced in 2025. The segment has caught the eyes of Allied Industrial Partners, KKR and CVC and this morning, we start with a listicle covering 10 live entertainment deals.
Next, we move over to look at analysis on private equity-backed megadeals, courtesy of a new S&P Market Intelligence report.
To finish today, we have a deal by KKR, as the firm has made an investment in an agri-tech business, alongside Highland Europe.
On stage
The live entertainment sector boomed in 2024 with events like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which topped $2 billion in revenues, grabbing headlines. The year also saw soccer's European Championships, as well as the annual Superbowl, which both gathered crowds.
I rounded up 10 deals from the last 12 months that reflect PE’s attraction to live entertainment.
Premium subscribers can learn more here.
Big deals back
Switching from megastars to megadeals. Private equity megadeals surged in 2024 as firms took advantage of improving M&A conditions, S&P Market Intelligence’s latest report found.
For my takeaways from the report, check out the full Wire coverage here.
Dairy deal
Let’s finish today with a deal in the dairy industry. KKR and Highland Europe have made an investment in SmaXtec.
For more on the deal, take a look at the premium Wire coverage here.
That’s all from me this morning. Irien Joseph will be back with you next Friday. John R Fischer is on US Wire Duty later today and Nina Lindholm will be back with you on Monday with the Europe edition.
Best wishes,
Sophie
Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ...
