Sony Music Masterworks acquires Proactiv stake
Sony Music Masterworks, a division of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), has announced it has acquired a majority stake in Barcelona-based Proactiv Entertainment.
Proactiv, which has sold two million tickets over the last five years, works with talent and brands to stage concerts and festivals, touring and immersive experiences. Founded in 1987 by event production guru Horacio Renna, the firm’s live music shows and events have included performances in Spain by Andrea Bocelli, Malu, Juan Luis Guerra, Dani Martin, Juanes and Maluma.
Current MD Nicolas Renna will continue to lead the company’s day-to-day operations, working closely with Masterworks president Mark Cavell, as well as Sony Music Spain & Portugal President Jose-Maria Barbat on behalf of SME’s Latin Iberia region, to grow the business through an expanded range of events, venues and experiences.
“I feel very proud to continue my father’s legacy, as well as the work I began at Proactiv Entertainment almost 20 years ago, with a partner like Sony Music Entertainment,” says Nicolas Renna. “We share vision and values, and we are firmly committed to creating a global leader in production and promotion of live experiences. With the support of Mark Cavell and the rest of the team across SME’s global network, we will access new territories, grow our portfolio of properties and generate emotions to new audiences.”
“Today starts a new era of success, made even greater by a partner with such great history and world-class capabilities”
Proactiv has also delivered shows based on international IP such as Disney on Ice, Disney Live!, The Lion King, WWE Live, Hamilton, the Harlem Globetrotters, Monster Jam, Harry Potter In Concert, Star Wars In Concert, Walking with Dinosaurs, Marvel Universe Live and Peppa Pigs. It is also the producer behind the touring experiences of Meet Vincent Van Gogh, FC Barcelona Exhibition, and Secret Garden.
“We have built our company to be one of the leaders in our sector and a standard-bearer through our values, professionalism, and hard work,” adds Horacio Renna. “Today starts a new era of success, made even greater by a partner with such great history and world-class capabilities.”
The relationship is the latest in a series of strategic partnerships and agreements advancing Sony Music Masterwork’s growth as a multi-faceted worldwide entertainment business. Investments by Sony Music Masterworks include Backyard Cinema; Holland-based GEA Live; Dubai-based concert promotion, talent management, events and production company MAC Global; Raymond Gubbay Ltd and UK concert promotion and production company Senbla.
“We are thrilled to partner with Nico and Horacio Renna to take Proactiv Entertainment’s business to the next level and help more leading artists and brands connect with fans through high-quality productions globally,” says Sony Music Masterworks president Mark Cavell. “They have a strong vision and key creative relationships around the world. Taken together with Sony Music’s expertise, resources, and broad portfolio of live entertainment properties, we look forward to creating even more innovative live experiences for audiences everywhere.”
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Sony Music backs new family entertainment agency
Sony Music Masterworks has joined forces with leading US family entertainment bookers Stephen Lindsay and Brett Sirota to launch RoadCo Entertainment, a new booking agency specialising in “live family entertainment experiences”.
As RoadCo, Lindsay and Sirota – the co-founders of The Road Company, which brings musicals, plays and special attractions to venues across North America – will work alongside Mark Cavell, president of Sony Music Masterworks, and Scott Farthing, senior vice-president of Masterworks Broadway, to develop and produce live events based on both existing brands/IP and new formats.
The agency will also work with other Sony companies to identify opportunities to develop live shows based on Sony-owned properties.
RoadCo Entertainment is the latest live-industry venture for Sony Music Entertainment, following its acquisition of classical promoter Raymond Gubbay in 2018 and UK concert business Senbla the following year.
Lindsay and Sirota have previously worked with Masterworks, co-producing 2017’s SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, which won a Tony Award. The Road Company’s other shows include the North American tours of Wicked, Moulin Rouge, Beetlejuice and Oklahoma!.
“RoadCo is the perfect venue for us to further grow our entertainment division in the US when the touring business is ready to return”
“We are energised and excited at the opportunity to create a second booking agency with our friends at Sony Music Masterworks, who bring a wealth of expertise, resources, and intellectual property,” say the pair in a joint statement. “The Road Company will continue its focus on Broadway and other theatricals, while RoadCo starts a new chapter for us as we build this expansive new enterprise with Sony Music capable of handling a broad roster of live entertainment properties.”
Mark Cavell, president of Sony Music Masterworks, comments: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Stephen Lindsay and Brett Sirota, whose track record as booking experts is well-known throughout the entertainment industry.
“Since first working together on the co-producing team of the Tony Award-winning SpongeBob musical, we have looked for other opportunities to collaborate. RoadCo is the perfect venue for us to join forces and further grow our entertainment division in the US market when the live touring business is ready to return.”
RoadCo is the third new booking agency, and the first focusing on family entertainment, to launch in the US since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, following TBA Agency and Mint Talent Group.
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Sony Music expands live offering with Senbla stake
Sony Music Masterworks, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has acquired a majority stake in UK concert promotion and production company, Senbla.
Senbla founder and chief executive Ollie Rosenblatt will continue to run the company, working alongside Sony Masterworks’ chief operating officer Mark Cavell and UK label head Sarah Thwaites.
“The combination of Senbla with Sony Music Masterworks gives us a broader platform to grow opportunities in live performance,” comments the Senbla boss, who says he is “delighted” with the new partnership.
Cavell says the deal is “exactly the right move” for Masterworks, as the Sony Music division continues to build on a “very successful live business”.
“The combination of Senbla with Sony Music Masterworks gives us a broader platform to grow opportunities in live performance”
Sony Music took full control of UK-based show producer Raymond Gubbay Live (RBL) last year, in a deal with Germany’s Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG).
According to Cavell, the acquisitions “provide the perfect platform to grow the business in the UK and overseas.”
Founded in 2011, Senbla puts on more than 200 concerts and shows annually across the UK. The promoter has worked with artists such as Joss Stone, Burt Bacharach, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Soft Cell and Beverley Knight.
Last year, Senbla teamed up with content creation company Wisebuddah to put on Quincy Jones: A Life in Song at the AEG-owned O2 Arena. Senbla has led productions including Star Wars in Concert, the Apollo Nights Summer Series and Electric Soul Festival.
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