News

NFL’s Super Bowl VIP Company On Location Acquires PrimeSport

Combined with CID Entertainment, the new company is now one of the world’s largest hospitality companies.

Billboard

By Dave Brooks

12 December 2017

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8070343/nfl-super-bowl-vip-company-on-location-acquires-primesport

On Location Experiences has acquired PrimeSport, continuing to grow its sports and entertainment VIP portfolio with 500 employees in nine offices, covering the Super Bowl and the National Football League as well as events for 150 rights holders, including the Professional Golfers’ Association, the NCAA and U.S. Tennis Association.

The deal includes music and festival VIP company CID Entertainment, which provides high-end hospitality offerings for Coachella, Bonnaroo and Stagecoach, as well as tours by Metallica, Luke Bryan, Phish, Blake Shelton and The Lumineers. CID has produced a number of destination events including Phish’s Riviera Maya, Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa and Dead and Company’s Playing in the Sand.

“As a part of On Location Experiences, all of us at CID have access to some of the best minds in sports and hospitality,” CID Entertainment founder and CEO  Dan Berkowitz tells Billboard. “John Collins [On Location’s CEO] is a visionary and proven leader and both he and I share the view that the most passionate sports and music fans want more than just a ticket. I founded CID a decade ago with a mission to bring people closer to the music they love and this transaction only enhances our ability to do so. I’m very excited to see where this will take our incredible team at CID as we continue to provide guests with the best possible experience.”

On Locations was created in March 2015 as a partnership between the NFL, Bruin Sports Capital and RedBird Capital Partners. In 2016 it acquired Anthony Travel, the largest university and sports travel management company in the country and later bought Jack Murphy’s Nomadic Entertainment And Sean Connolly’s Kreate Inc. In 2017, On Location partnered with the NFL to handle all ticketing and hospitality packages for Super Bowl LI in Houston earlier this year and is creating a number of high-end parties and concerts for February’s championship game in Minneapolis.

“On Location’s stated vision is to partner with content rights holders to help them better monetize their intellectual property and expand the activation and fan experience around their big events,” Collins said in a statement provided to Billboard. “The PrimeSport acquisition provides scale for our premium experiential offerings and for our fast-growing organization’s capabilities and expertise.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Paul Hastings served as legal counsel to On Location and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to PrimeSport.