Media & Entertainment
WHAT WE DO
Recognized Global Authority in Media, Entertainment and Marketing Tech
The Solomon Partners Media & Entertainment group provides investment banking services to private and publicly-traded companies ranging from multibillion-dollar global media and entertainment companies to growth-oriented private companies and financial sponsors.
The Media & Entertainment group advises clients in the following areas across the globe:
- Advertising and Marketing Services-Based
- Commerce/Retail Media
- Content Creation/Distribution
- Exhibition and Site-Based/Experiential Entertainment
- On-Premise and Connected Media Solutions
- Out of Home Media
- Pro AV
- Retail Tech
See full sector coverage here.
The group is led by industry veteran Mark Boidman, who has been recognized by industry executives and professional publications as a leading investment banker in the media, entertainment, and technology services sectors.
The group has been recognized as the global authority in all media, entertainment, and tech services outside of the home, including Pro AV, and has advised numerous strategic companies in these areas, including Adams Outdoor Advertising, AMI Entertainment, Broadsign, Cieslok, CityBridge, Clear Channel Outdoor, Creative Mobile Technologies, Exterion Media, GSTV, JCDecaux Interstate, LG, Mood Media, Netflix, New Tradition Media, OUTFRONT Media, Pacific Outdoor, Panasonic, PatientPoint, Qualcomm, Total Outdoor, Van Wagner, and Vector Media. The group has also advised numerous financial firms, including Acon, Ares, General Atlantic, GI Partners, HIG, Providence Equity, Searchlight, and Warburg Pincus.
Key Transactions
The team’s extensive track record includes working with clients such as:
- GSTV on its sale to MidOcean
- The Transaction Committee of VOXX’s Board of Directors on its sale to Gentex Corporation
- OUTFRONT Media on its sale of its Canadian business to Bell Media
- Special Committee of SiriusXM’s Board of Directors on Sirius XM’s combination with Liberty SiriusXM Trading Stock Group
- New Tradition Media on its majority investment from Blackstone
- HIG Capital on its acquisition of Watchfire Signs
Sector Coverage
We advise clients in Media, Entertainment & Tech Services, including:
Advertising/Marketing Services
- Ad Tech
- Classic Out of Home (OOH) Media and Advertising
- Digital Out of Home
- Lead Generation
- Marketing Services
- Marketing Technology
- Point-of-Care Media
- Radio
- Smart Cities/Urban Infrastructure
- Sports/Stadium Marketing
- Streaming Media
- Transit Media
Entertainment
- Content Creation/Distribution
- Site-Based Entertainment
- Motion Picture Exhibition
- TV/Filmed Entertainment
- Radio/Digital Music Services
- Music Publishing/Recorded Music
- Satellite/Broadband
Global Retail Tech/On-Premise Media
- Commerce/Retail Media
- CMS Solutions
- Digital Signage and Interactive Displays
- E-Commerce Tech
- In-Venue Media and Tech
- Kiosk Solutions
- Music
- Payments
- Retail Analytics
- Software Signage Technology
Pro AV
- AV Integration
- Audio/Audio Equipment
- Content Distribution and Media
- Conferencing/Collaboration
- Digital Signage
- Event Production
- Meeting Rooms
- Learning
- Security/Surveillance
- Simulation and Visualization
Media & Entertainment Deals
Served as financial advisor to Creative Outdoor Advertising on its sale to Dominus Capital
June 2025
Served as financial advisor to GSTV on its sale to MidOcean Partners
April 2025
Served as financial advisor to the Transaction Committee of VOXX's Board of Directors on its sale to Gentex Corporation
April 2025
Served as financial advisor to Diggerland USA on its sale to Innovative Attraction Management
January 2025
Served as financial advisor to OUTFRONT Media on the sale of its Canadian business to Bell Media
June 2024
Served as financial advisor to Ares in connection with a senior secured credit facility to an out of home media business
March 2024
Serving as financial advisor to the Special Committee of SiriusXM's Board of Directors on SiriusXM's combination with Liberty SiriusXM Tracking Stock Group
December 2023
Served as financial advisor to Valpak on its sale to AmatoMartin
November 2023
Served as financial advisor to VSS-Southern Theatres (The Grand Theatres and Amstar Cinemas) on its sale to Santikos Theaters
July 2023
Served as financial advisor to Swingers on its growth investment from Cain International
July 2023
Served as financial advisor to New Tradition Media on its majority investment from Blackstone
June 2023
Served as financial advisor to Scene75 on its sale to Five Star Parks & Attractions
May 2023
Served as financial advisor to Universal Branding Group on its sale of a multi-decade lease of Times Square signage to Providence Equity Partners
January 2023
Served as financial advisor to AMI Entertainment Network on its sale to Coral Tree Partners
December 2022
Served as the exclusive financial advisor to Interstate Chicago on the sale of its majority stake in Interstate JCDecaux to JCDecaux
September 2022
Served as financial advisor to H.I.G. Capital on its acquisition of Watchfire Signs
July 2022
Served as financial advisor providing a fairness opinion to the Board of CC Neuberger
July 2022
Dividend recapitalization financed by new senior secured credit facility- served as financial advisor to AMI Entertainment
June 2022
Served as exclusive financial advisor to Hollywood Bowl Group on its acquisition of Splitsville Entertainment
May 2022
Served as exclusive financial advisor to Pacific Outdoor Advertising on the sale of its Portland portfolio and other assets aggregating ~1000 displays to OUTFRONT Media
May 2022
Served as financial advisor to Bow Tie Cinemas in its sale of theatres to AMC Theatres
April 2022
Served as exclusive financial advisor to Adams Outdoor Advertising on its strategic investment by Searchlight and BCI
November 2021
Served as exclusive financial advisor to CityBridge on its $200,000,000+ investment from ZenFi Networks
June 2021
Advised Puttshack on its growth capital raise led by Promethean Investments
May 2021
Served as financial advisor to Foris on its sale to Alight Media
May 2021
Served as financial advisor to AMI Entertainment Network to refinance existing indebtedness on senior secured credit facility
April 2021
Served as advisor to Mood Media on its sale to Vector Capital
December 2020
Served as advisor to Mood Media on its pre-packaged Chapter 11 restructuring
July 2020
Advised Ares on its Convertible Preferred Investment into OUTFRONT Media
April 2020
Solomon Partners served as financial advisor to Star Cinema Grill on its pending sale to CMX Cinemas.
March 2020
Serving as financial advisor to Vivendi on the sale of its 10% stake in Universal Music Group to a consortium led by Tencent
December 2019
Served as advisor to Banijay Group on its acquisition of Endemol Shine Group from joint owners Apollo and Disney / Fox.
October 2019
Served as financial advisor to MJR Digital Cinemas in its sale to Kinepolis Group.
September 2019
Served as strategic and financial advisor to Total Outdoor on the sale of its Chicago out of home media assets to OUTFRONT
September 2019
Served as financial advisor to Barnes & Noble Founder, Chairman and 19% equity holder, Len Riggio on the sale of the Company to Elliott Management, owner of Waterstones.
August 2019
Serving as investment banker to IPIC Entertainment on its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
August 2019
Advised Moviehouse & Eatery, an upscale dine-in movie theater circuit in Texas, on its sale to Cinépolis.
July 2019
Served as strategic and financial advisor to Total Outdoor on the sale of its San Francisco out of home media assets to New Tradition Media
July 2019
Served as strategic and financial advisor to Total Outdoor on the sale of select out of home media assets to American Tower
July 2019
Served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Broadsign on its acquisition of Ayuda Media Systems
April 2019
Served as financial advisor to VSS-Southern Theatres / Movie Tavern in connection with its sale to Marcus Theatres
February 2019
Served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Total Outdoor on the sale of its Seattle Advertising Portfolio to Pacific Outdoor Advertising
December 2018
Served as strategic and financial advisor to Exterion Media and Platinum Equity on the sale of Exterion to Global
October 2018
Served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Netflix on the acquisition of out of home media assets of Regency Outdoor
August 2018
Served as exclusive financial advisor to Cobb Theatres in connection with its sale to CMX Cinemas
October 2017
Served as strategic and financial advisor to AMI Entertainment in connection with its sale to The Gores Group
July 2017
Served as exclusive M&A advisor on Gas Station TV and Verifone joint venture creating a high-impact national video network delivering 3.3 billion annual impressions
June 2017
Served as exclusive financial advisor to PatientPoint in connection with the patient-physician engagement solutions provider's $140 million capital raise
from Searchlight Capital Partners and Silver Point Capital.
June 2017
Advised Santikos Enterprises in connection with the sale of its Houston theatres and property to Regal Entertainment Group
April 2017
Served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to MBS Textbook Exchange and owner Leonard Riggio on the textbook wholesaler and e-commerce company's
sale to Barnes & Noble Education
March 2017
Served as advisor to the Special Committee of the Board of National CineMedia in connection with NCM's agreement with AMC to enable AMC to comply with the DOJ Final Order for Carmike
March 2017
Served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Cieslok Media, an innovative out-of-home media company, and its Board of Directors in connection with its sale to Bell Media
January 2017
Served as financial advisor to Altran on the divestiture of its U.S. Power & Industrial Engineering Services Division to CriticalPoint Capital
January 2017
Advised Marcus Theatres on its acquisition of Wehrenberg Theatres
November 2016
Acted as exclusive sell-side advisor to Vector Media in connection with Spire Capital Partners' investment in the out of home media company
November 2016
Advised HSNi in the divestiture of its TravelSmith and Chasing Fireflies businesses to Distinctive Apparel, Inc., a Blackstreet Capital portfolio company.
October 2016
Advised the company on its recapitalization and sale of a majority stake to private equity
July 2016
Served as advisor to the company on its sale of a collection of theatres to Cinépolis
July 2016
Served as financial advisor to Skullcandy, Inc. on its sale to Mill Road Capital
June 2016
April 2016
Advised the company on its acquisition by Phunware
April 2016
Served as financial advisor to RevZilla on the formation of a new holding company by RevZilla Motorsports, LLC, Cycle Gear, Inc. and J.W. Childs Associates, LP that owns both Cycle Gear and RevZilla
April 2016
Advised the Australian company on its restructuring, including its sale of the teleports business to Speedcast.
July 2015
Advised the company on its sale to AMC Theatres
July 2015
Advised Searchlight Capital Partners on its acquisition of TouchTunes Interactive Networks, the world's largest in-venue and out-of-home interactive music and entertainment platform
April 2015
Advised Christie’s International on its acquisition of Collectrium, a leading digital art collection management solution
February 2015
Served as financial adviser to CBS Outdoor on its acquisition of certain outdoor advertising businesses from Van Wagner Communications
July 2014
Advised the digital video news provider in connection with its sale to E.W. Scripps Company
December 2013
Advised MediaNews Group in its acquisition of 21st Century Media.
December 2013
Advised the Special Committee of the National CineMedia (NCM) Board of Directors on the sale of Fathom Events to its founding members.
December 2013
Advised the Disinterested Directors of the Board of SiriusXM in its repurchase of $500M of SiriusXM common stock from Liberty Media.
October 2013
Advised Movie Tavern, one of the nation’s largest in-theater dining operators, in connection with its sale to Southern Theatres
September 2013
Represented the Special Committee of the Board of Directors in a “going-private” transaction with the Weiss Family.
April 2013
Advised FTSE Group in the formation of a joint venture with TMX Datalinx.
February 2013
Advised the company on an amend-and-extend of its existing credit facility and $445 million of new financing from Berkshire Hathaway
November 2012
Advised the Company on its sale of the Tampa Tribune to Revolution Capital.
October 2012
Advised the company on its sale of CSS Studios LLC to Empire Investment Holdings
September 2012
Advised the Company on the sale of most of its newspaper operations to Berkshire Hathaway
May 2012
Advised the company on its sale to Epiq Systems Inc.
December 2011
Advised the company and its investor group on its acquisition of EMI Music Publishing.
November 2011
Advised the company on its sale to HarperCollins Publishers, a division of News Corp.
October 2011
Advised the company on its sale to Google, Inc.
September 2011
Advised the company on the acquisition of GSI Commerce, Inc.
March 2011
Advised the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
January 2011
Advised the company on its sale to AMC Entertainment, Inc.
December 2010
Advised the company in amending its credit facility and in its issuance of $300M of Senior Secured Notes
December 2010
Advised the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Six Flags Chapter 11 bankruptcy
May 2010
Advised the Ad Hoc Committee of Sr. Subordinated Noteholders in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
January 2010
Advised the company on the spin-off of Madison Square Garden to the Cablevision shareholders
December 2009
Advised the Informal Committee of Senior Noteholders in the pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy
September 2009
Advised the company on its sale to Scientific Games Corp.
December 2007
Advised the company in placement of multi-tranche Credit Facility
December 2007
Advised the company on its sale to Apollo Mgmt. Texas Pacific Group
December 2006
Advised the company on its sale to MacAndrews & Forbes Holding, Inc.
December 2006
Advised Movie Gallery in restructuring
June 2006
Advised the company on its sale of its UCI Brazil division to National Amusements, Inc.
December 2005
Advised the company on the acquisition of Crave Entertainment, Inc.
December 2005
Advised the company on its sale to Scientific Games Corp.
December 2003
Advised the company on the sale of its Madacy Entertainment division to the Madacy management team
December 2003
Advised the company on its acquisition, through a joint venture with Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd, of the fiber optic business of Lucent, Inc.
December 2002
Advised the company on the sale of its Johnstown America division to Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
December 2001
Advised the company on the sale of its government business to Affiliated Computer Systems, Inc.
December 2001
Advised Payless Cashways, Inc. in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy
April 2001
Advised the company on the sale of its International Imaging Materials division to Centre Partners Management
December 2000
Advised the company on its acquisition of CellNet Data Systems, Inc.
December 2000
Advised the company on its sale to DLJ Merchant Banking Partners
December 2000
Advised the company on the sale of its Strouse Adler division to Sara Lee Corp.
December 1998
Advised the company on the acquisition of Advanstar Holdings, Inc.
December 1996
Advised Discovery Zone, Inc. in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
August 1996
Advised the company on the sale of certain cellular systems to an investor group
December 1993
Advised the company on its acquisition of Martindale-Hubbell, Inc.
December 1989
Media & Entertainment Specialists
Media & Entertainment Insights
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Pro AV Performance Update
Our Global Media group's report covering recent earnings performance and forward guidance for public Pro AV companies.
Capital Advisory
Our Capital Advisory team works closely with clients to provide comprehensive, independent guidance throughout an organization’s life cycle.
Insights & Perspectives
Reports. Podcasts. Latest News. Explore our insights and perspectives on the latest industry trends and market developments.
M&A and Strategic Advisory
Our bankers provide strategic solutions across complex M&A assignments and advise boards and special committees on navigating highly scrutinized situations.