What MARI does

MARI Group is a privately held, New York-based global live events and experiences holding company founded in 2025 by Ariel Emanuel (also CEO of TKO Group Holdings), with Mark Shapiro serving as Principal Investor and Board Member. The company operates a diversified portfolio of category-defining event brands across five verticals: Sports (Miami Open, Mutua Madrid Open, US Open of Surfing, Nike Melbourne Marathon), Arts (Frieze London, Frieze Masters, Frieze Seoul, and Frieze Abu Dhabi launching November 2026), Lifestyle (Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Taste Festivals), Collectibles (Barrett-Jackson collector car auctions, Collect-A-Con), and Ticketing & Technology (TodayTix Group, Bucket Listers). MARI's core technology stack consists of two owned consumer platforms — TodayTix, a digital ticketing platform processing approximately 10 million tickets annually across theater and live-performance venues, and Bucket Listers, a social-first event discovery platform operating across 20 U.S. cities with 21 million social followers and 2.5 billion annual impressions.

MARI generates revenue across multiple streams: digital ticketing transaction fees (TodayTix), live event operations revenue from premium sports, art, and lifestyle events, sponsorship and media rights for portfolio events, and experience-discovery monetization through Bucket Listers' partnerships with IP holders such as Mattel, Disney, and CBS/Paramount. The company serves affluent sports and entertainment enthusiasts, experience-first consumers aged 18–34, arts collectors attending Frieze fairs, and hobby/collectibles enthusiasts — with 251–500 employees and an integrated go-to-market combining enterprise IP partnerships, social-driven event discovery, and direct-to-consumer ticketing.

The company is backed by over $2 billion in equity from Apollo, Qatar Investment Authority, RedBird Capital Partners, Sideline Group ($155M debut fund), and the Miami Dolphins owners. MARI pursues a platform-plus-acquisitions strategy, rapidly integrating iconic event IP with proprietary distribution and ticketing technology to control the full audience lifecycle from discovery through attendance and re-engagement.

Name

MARI

Legal name

MARI Group

Website

https://marigrp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MARI Group is a privately held global live events and experiences holding company that owns and operates category-defining sports, arts, lifestyle, and collectibles events — alongside digital ticketing (TodayTix) and event discovery (Bucket Listers) platforms — serving premium consumer audiences worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Ticketing Services: TodayTix generates revenue through digital ticket sales for live theater and cultural experiences, processing approximately 10 million tickets annually.
2. Live Event Operations: Revenue from operating world-class live events including tennis tournaments (Miami Open, Madrid Open), art fairs (Frieze), lifestyle events (Hyde Park Winter Wonderland), and automotive auctions (Barrett-Jackson).
3. Sponsorship and Media Rights: Revenue from branded partnerships, sponsorship deals, and media rights for portfolio events including the Madrid Open, Miami Open, Frieze, and Barrett-Jackson.
4. Experience Discovery and Booking: Bucket Listers monetizes through original experience development partnerships with IP holders (Mattel, Disney, CBS/Paramount) and social commerce discovery-to-booking journey.
5. Collectibles Events: Collect-A-Con produces 24 card shows annually drawing 500,000 attendees, targeting the 18-34 age demographic in trading card games and hobby events.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MARI is a global live events and experiences holding company that acquires and operates a diversified portfolio of category-defining event brands across sports (Miami Open, Madrid Open, Nike Melbourne Marathon, US Open of Surfing), arts (Frieze art fairs), lifestyle (Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Taste Festivals), collectibles (Barrett-Jackson auctions, Collect-A-Con), and ticketing technology (TodayTix, Bucket Listers). The company integrates event ownership with proprietary digital ticketing and social-first discovery platforms to engage audiences from discovery through attendance.

Product overview

MARI is a global live events and experiences holding company that operates a diversified portfolio of category-defining events and brands across five core categories: Sports (Miami Open, Mutua Madrid Open, Nike Melbourne Marathon, US Open of Surfing), Arts (Frieze London, Frieze Masters, Frieze Seoul, Frieze Abu Dhabi), Lifestyle (Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Taste Festivals), Collectibles (Barrett-Jackson auctions, Collect-A-Con), and Ticketing & Technology (TodayTix Group, Bucket Listers). The company functions as a platform-plus-acquisitions model, building its portfolio through strategic acquisitions of established event brands and ticketing technology companies. MARI's portfolio spans tennis tournaments, art fairs, collector car auctions, trading card shows, marathons, and digital ticketing platforms, serving audiences across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Miami Open International professional tennis tournament held annually in Miami, Florida, featuring top ATP and WTA players competing in one of the most prestigious Masters 1000 events.
• Mutua Madrid Open Premier clay-court tennis tournament held annually in Madrid, Spain, one of the prestigious Masters 1000 events on both the ATP and WTA tours.
• Frieze International art fair organization hosting contemporary art fairs including Frieze London, Frieze Masters, Frieze Seoul, and Frieze Abu Dhabi (launching November 2026), connecting collectors, galleries, and art enthusiasts globally.
• Barrett-Jackson Premium collector car auction company and automotive lifestyle brand hosting prestigious auctions featuring rare and classic automobiles, widely recognized in the automotive enthusiast community.
• TodayTix Group Digital ticketing platform for live cultural experiences and Broadway theater, selling approximately 10 million tickets annually, providing technology infrastructure for MARI's ticketing operations.
• Bucket Listers Event discovery platform with social-first approach to helping audiences find and book live experiences, operating across 20 U.S. cities with 21 million social followers and partnerships with major IP holders including Mattel, Disney, and CBS/Paramount.
• Collect-A-Con Organizer of pop culture and gaming events including trading card shows, producing 24 card shows annually drawing 500,000 attendees across the United States, targeting the 18-34 age demographic.
• Nike Melbourne Marathon Major marathon event held annually in Melbourne, Australia, one of the largest running events in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Seasonal winter lifestyle event held in London's Hyde Park featuring festive attractions, entertainment, and holiday experiences.
• US Open of Surfing Premier action sports event featuring professional surfing competitions, part of MARI's action sports portfolio.
• Taste Festivals Global culinary event series bringing together food vendors, chefs, and culinary experiences at events worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million tickets sold annually through TodayTix platform
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Collect-A-ConcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026MARI acquired Collect-A-Con, one of the largest promoters of trading card shows in the U.S. Collect-A-Con produces 24 card shows annually drawing 500,000 attendees, targeting the 18-34 demographic with trading card games focus.
• Bucket ListerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026MARI acquired a majority stake in Bucket Listers, a live events discovery platform with social-first approach. Bucket Listers operates across 20 U.S. cities with 21 million social followers and develops original experiences with IP holders including Mattel, Disney, and CBS/Paramount.
• MattelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Mattel is an IP partner of Bucket Listers for developing original live experiences as part of the MARI portfolio.
• DisneyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Disney is an IP partner of Bucket Listers for developing original live experiences as part of the MARI portfolio.
• CBS/ParamountminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026CBS/Paramount is an IP partner of Bucket Listers for developing original live experiences as part of the MARI portfolio.
• Endeavor Group HoldingscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025MARI acquired IMG's Arts & Entertainment and Action Sports portfolios from Endeavor, including properties like US Open of Surfing, Nike Melbourne Marathon, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, and Taste Festivals. Goldman Sachs and LionTree Advisors served as financial advisers on the transaction.
• TodayTix GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025MARI acquired TodayTix Group, a digital ticketing company for live cultural experiences, from Great Hill Partners. TodayTix sells approximately 10 million tickets annually across theater and live performance venues.
• Department of Culture and Tourism Abu DhabiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2025Frieze partnered with Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi to take over the Abu Dhabi Art fair, rebranding as Frieze Abu Dhabi in November 2026. This positions Frieze to compete directly with Art Basel in the Gulf region.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• On Location Experiences: On Location provides premium hospitality and experiential packages for major sporting and cultural events, including the Super Bowl, Olympics, and Kentucky Derby. Closely comparable to MARI's premium sports tourism and live event hospitality positioning.
• Seat Geek: SeatGeek is a digital ticketing marketplace competing with TodayTix in live entertainment ticketing. Comparable technology stack and consumer-facing distribution model, both targeting younger sports and live event consumers.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Live Nation is the world's largest live entertainment company, promoting concerts, operating Ticketmaster, and owning/analyzing venues. It directly overlaps with MARI's ticketing (TodayTix) and live event operations across sports and cultural experiences.
• Endeavor Group Holdings: Endeavor is the most direct peer: MARI acquired IMG's Arts & Entertainment and Action Sports portfolios from Endeavor. Both own and operate premier sports, arts, and entertainment properties worldwide, with overlapping capabilities in talent representation, event operations, and sponsorship sales.
• AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group): AEG operates a global portfolio of venues, sports teams, and live events including concerts and festivals. Comparable to MARI in operating world-class sports and entertainment properties, with deep sponsorship and ticketing capabilities.
• Art Basel (MCH Group): Art Basel is the leading global art fair organizer, competing head-to-head with Frieze (now a MARI subsidiary) across Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Direct comparable for the premium art fair business within MARI's portfolio.

Others

• IMAX Corporation: IMAX operates premium shared experiences (large-format cinema events) and partners with major IP holders on exclusive content releases. Adjacent thematically as a premium experience operator monetizing entertainment IP through owned distribution channels.

Broad incumbents

• Topgolf Callaway Brands: Topgolf operates entertainment venues and golf-related experiences targeting younger consumers and group outings. Comparable to MARI's lifestyle and collectibles category events targeting experiential, social, and 18-34 demographics.
• TKO Group Holdings: TKO, led by Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro (MARI's founders), operates UFC, WWE, and other combat sports IP. While primarily combat sports, it shares the premium sports media rights, sponsorship, and live event business model that MARI applies across its broader portfolio.
• Madison Square Garden Entertainment: MSG Entertainment owns iconic venues (Madison Square Garden) and produces live experiences spanning sports, concerts, and family shows. Comparable as a venue-and-experience operator with premium ticketing and sponsorship-driven economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themarigroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mari-grp
• Instagraminstagram.com/themarigroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MARI