 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1994; 31 years ago (1994) |
| Founder | Philip Anschutz |
| Headquarters | L.A. Live,, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dan Beckerman (president andCEO) |
| Parent | The Anschutz Corporation |
| Subsidiaries | AEG Presents Bristol Bay Productions Coachella Music Festival Goldenvoice Walden Media |
| Website | aegworldwide.com |
| Footnotes / references [1] | |
Anschutz Entertainment Group, Inc. (AEG), also known asAEG Worldwide, is an American global sporting and musicentertainment presenter and a subsidiary ofthe Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events. Under theAEG Presents brand, it is the world's second-largest presenter of live music and entertainment events, afterLive Nation.[2][3] AEG Presents was founded in 2002 as AEG Live.[4]
AEG owns and operates a variety of venues, sport teams, and entertainment concerns. For venues, AEG owns and operatesCrypto.com Arena andDignity Health Sports Park, and managed theXL Center andRentschler Field. In England, it operatesThe O2 which includes a 20,000 capacity arena. As part of the development of The O2, Anschutz also purchased the London river service companyThames Clippers, and supported the development of the nearbyDavid Beckham Academy (which also had a branch at the Home Depot Center). The company had its headquarters inDowntown Los Angeles.[5]
In sports teams, the company owns theLos Angeles Galaxy, 50% of theLos Angeles Kings,Ontario Reign,Eisbären Berlin withUber Arena, 23.5% ofHammarby IF, as well as interests in theLos Angeles Lakers andLos Angeles Sparks. AEG also ownedHamburg Freezers before ceasing its existence in 2016. The company also purchased theChampions on Icefigure skating tour in 2006, and own 12% ofDjurgårdens IF Hockey[citation needed]. The company makes a significant amount of its money by leveraging its sports interests, already significant earners, by using the stadiums in which these teams play to host various other entertainment events, most notably concerts.Philip Anschutz created the company by buying up several small local promoters inLos Angeles in order to fill up the schedule for his new sports venue, Staples Center. These included ConcertsWest and Goldenvoice, which had been founded byGary Tovar, and promotes the annualCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. AEG was the second-largest event promoter in the United States.
AEG Presents, previously AEG Live, came to international public attention in 2009 when it acted as the promoter forMichael Jackson'sThis Is It concerts.Jackson died just three weeks before the series of 50 concerts were due to begin. Members of Jackson's family have said that they would like to see an investigation, in general, into the role of AEG Live in the final weeks of his life, and also, in particular, into the role of the personal advisers and representatives whom they believe the promoters put in place for him.[6]
On September 18, 2012, the Anschutz Corporation announced its intent to sell Anschutz Entertainment Group and its holdings.[7] The company has retained financial advisors Blackstone Advisory Partners to assist in AEG's sale process. There had been some concerns about the sale as AEG was instrumental in the development ofFarmers Field, a planned football stadium in Downtown Los Angeles that was intended to attract anNFL team to the city. Approval to begin construction of Farmers Field in 2013 for a 2016 completion was in the process of being finalized at the time that AEG's sale was announced.[8] In 2015, plans for Farmers Field were abandoned when thenSt. Louis Rams ownerStan Kroenke announced plans for astadium of his own.
On March 14, 2013, Anschutz that announced AEG was no longer for sale and that it was changing CEOs. Tim Leiweke (CEO since 1996) left the firm; John Skorjanec was named VP of National Media Accounts with Dan Beckerman heading AEG.[9]
AEG's primary subsidiary AEG Facilities merged with its rival venue operatorSMG in October 2019, forming ASM Global.[10]
AEG ownsCrypto.com Arena in Los Angeles,Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California,The O2 in London, theUber Arena in Berlin, andBarclays Arena in Hamburg. Additionally, AEG operatesT-Mobile Center inKansas City, theTarget Center in Minneapolis,Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles,The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, theOakland–Alameda County Coliseum andOakland Arena in Oakland,Shell Energy Stadium in Houston,The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Dallas, andSNHU Arena in Manchester (New Hampshire).
Anschutz's investment in the O2, through his company Anschutz Entertainment Group, previously resulted in his involvement in controversy related to the possible influence of former BritishDeputy Prime MinisterJohn Prescott in the award of the "super casino" license by the British government. Anschutz knew Prescott personally, having had him as a guest for a two-night stay at Anschutz's ranch in 2005 and footing the bill for hospitality and gifts.[13] In January 2007, the "super casino" license was awarded to a group inManchester, rather than toBlackpool or London. Anschutz spent £50m on theManchester Arena and the winner of the casino licence is a close ally of Anschutz,Sol Kerzner.[14]
In August 2007, AEG announced plans withHarrah's Entertainment to build a privately financed 20,000-seat arena inParadise, Nevada on theLas Vegas Strip[15] on Harrah's land located directly behind theBally's Las Vegas andParis Las Vegas resorts. The informal partnership was dissolved the following year.[16]
In October 2011, AEG reached an agreement withSociedade Esportiva Palmeiras and WTorre to manageSão Paulo's then-upcomingArena Palmeiras.[17][18]
In September 2013, it was announced that AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, had signed a 15-year contract to operateWembley Arena inLondon.[19]
AEG Live partnered withMGM Resorts International to build theT-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which opened in April 2016.[20]
AEG Ogden, a joint venture with Australian investors, managed sports venues and convention centres in Australia and Asia, including theInternational Convention Centre Sydney,Lang Park andSydney SuperDome.
Anschutz was one of the co-founders and one of the lead investors ofMajor League Soccer. In 1996, he became the investor/operator of theColorado Rapids, his first MLS franchise. The Rapids were then a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation. In subsequent years, as Anschutz acquired additional sports teams, it led to the formation of a new division of the company whose focus was sports and entertainment, leading directly to the creation of AEG. the Rapids andNational Hockey League's (NHL)Los Angeles Kings as its original members.
Since 1996, AEG has held ownership in the Chicago Fire, San Jose Earthquakes, New York/New Jersey MetroStars, D.C. United and Houston Dynamo.[21][22] Currently, AEG is the operator of theLos Angeles Galaxy.
Anschutz was inducted into theNational Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. Also in 2006, Anschutz received the National Soccer Medal of Honor, one of four recipients to ever receive the award.[21] In 2007, Anschutz and AEG played a role in bringingDavid Beckham to the United States. In 2009, he joined the Board of Directors of USA Bid Committee, a group which was formed with the aim of promoting the application and campaign to bring the World Cup to the United States. This was ultimately successful with the 2026 World Cup.
Between 2001 and 2019, AEG was the biggest external investor and minority shareholder of SwedishAllsvenskan clubHammarby IF.[23] On 27 November 2019, it was announced thatZlatan Ibrahimović had acquired 23.5 percent of the outstanding shares in Hammarby, which meant that AEG reduced their stake by half.[24]
AEG were part of a consortium withTottenham Hotspur which proposed to demolish the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford and then to build a new 60,000 seater soccer specific stadium in its place and to renovate the Crystal Palace athletics stadium. These proposals were rejected as they violated the Olympic legacy provisions of the UK government.
AEG owns theNHL'sLos Angeles Kings,[25] theAHL'sOntario Reign, theECHL'sCincinnati Cyclones (co-owned with Nederlander Entertainment), and the German ice hockey teamEisbären Berlin. AEG also formerly owned theManchester Monarchs[26] and an interest in theReading Royals, both of the ECHL.
In July 2010, it was announced that Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. had entered into an agreement to purchase theKingsmill Resort nearWilliamsburg, Virginia.[27] Xanterra, owned by Anschutz since 2008, has traditionally operated in national and state parks across the United States, especially in the Western regions, includingYellowstone National Park inWyoming andCrater Lake National Park inOregon.[28] As of 2010, Xanterra was operating about three dozen hotels and lodges with more than 5,000 guest rooms combined, with over 8,000 employees.[29]
Anschutz Entertainment Group also owned theTour of California bicycling race and theBay to Breakers footrace.
The company also managed theT-Mobile Center inKansas City, Missouri, and managed theXL Center inHartford, Connecticut until 2013. They previously operatedRentschler Field in Hartford from 2007 to 2010, during which they held a stake in the now-defunctHartford Colonials of theUFL.
In April 2016, AEG announced a partnership withesports companyESL;[30] the next year the company also announced an investment in the North American esports organization,Immortals.[31]
In 2025, the company launched theCollege Basketball Crown, a postseasoncollege basketball tournament, in conjunction with Fox Sports.[32]
When the 1968John Wayne movieHellfighters was being shot in 1967, Anschutz chargedUniversal Pictures aUS$100,000 fee (equivalent to $0.9 million in 2024) to film real fire fighters extinguishing a real oil blaze on his land.
Anschutz Film Group (formerly Crusader Entertainment, now known asBristol Bay Productions andWalden Media) produced the commercially successfulHoles in 2003 andThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005.
The company also played a significant role the 2009 documentary–concert filmMichael Jackson's This Is It.[33]
AEG partnered with Outbox Enterprises, a start up company, in which AEG is both an equity partner and a client, to develop AXS (pronounced "access").[34] AXS is a digital marketing platform for purchasing tickets for sports and entertainment events.
In Berlin, local groups started a boycott against the projected developmentMediaspree, of which Uber Arena (formerly O2 World and Mercedes-Benz Arena) is a part, arguing that huge sections of public spaces were being lost to the private sector. Furthermore, the Anschutz company was criticized for bully-like behavior in regards to the changing of the outer parameters of the sports arena. A section of the nearbyEast Side Gallery, a leftover piece of theBerlin Wall now serving as an international memorial for peace and freedom, had to be removed to enable the view of Anschutz's new arena, located on the former eastern side of the city along the riverSpree.[35] AEG has since promised to financially support the preservation of the East Side Gallery.[36]
AEG had a global interest in thedeath of Michael Jackson by hosting apublic memorial service atCrypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), a prominent music venue in Los Angeles and home of the Grammy Museum. The event included security and logistical support by the City of Los Angeles totaling $3.2 million.[37] During this expense to the city during theGreat Recession, some economists estimated that the event also generated $4 million for local businesses such as hotels and restaurants.[38] City Council members and local media have called for the cost of the memorial incurred by the city to be paid for by the Jackson family or AEG, instead of by the city taxpayer.[39] In June 2010, AEG agreed to pay the city of Los Angeles $1.3 million to offset some of the cost incurred by the city during the tribute event.[40]
AEG was also accused of having attempted to profit from the death ofMichael Jackson, who was due to perform at London's O2 Arena in 2009 and 2010. The approximately 750,000 tickets were eligible for refund upon request, but the promoter offered to send out "souvenir" tickets if customers waived their right to the refund.[41] The company estimated that 40–50% of its customers would request the original tickets in lieu of the refund, which would save the company $40 million in refunds. That was in addition to future profits from any material that formed a part of the "This Is It" concerts, which AEG made its intellectual property in sponsoring the concerts.[42]
AfterConrad Murray, the physician appointed by AEG to take care of Jackson during the run-up and throughout the "This Is It" concerts, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in theCalifornia v. Murray case,Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother and legal guardian of his three children, filed a wrongful death suit against the promoter, seeking damages reportedly exceeding tens of billions of dollars. AEG filed a motion to have the case dismissed which was denied by a Los Angeles County judge who ruled that sufficient evidence was present for the progression to a jury trial. The trial began on April 2.[43][44][45] Murray served jail time for the death of Jackson, and indicated that if he was called as a witness for this case, he would refuse to testify to avoid incriminating himself amid his sentence appeal, as he had not previously testified under oath regarding Jackson's death.[46] On October 2, 2013, AEG was found not liable in the death of Michael Jackson.[47]
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