Entertainment One

Round Room Live, one of the world’s top family entertainment producers, has announced that founders and co-presidents Stephen Shaw and Jonathan Linden have completed a management buyout of its lead investor eOne, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. The acquisition was backed by Manhattan West, a Los Angeles-based strategic investment firm.

“This deal is a significant milestone for Round Room, which has become one of the most dynamic live entertainment producers and promoters in the world,” said Shaw. “This new partnership with Manhattan West will fuel our ambitious growth plans to distribute exciting entertainment experiences on a global scale.”

Led by Shaw and Linden, Round Room Live specializes in transforming intellectual property into live events. Round Room Live’s current roster of touring shows and exhibitions include: Baby Shark Live!, Blippi The Musical, Peppa Pig Live, Blue’s Clues & You! Live On Stage, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Mandela: The Official Exhibition, Tupac Shakur: Wake Me When I’m Free and Formula 1: The Exhibition, which will launch early in 2023.

“We are excited to continue to grow this exceptional business together with our new partners at Manhattan West,” added Linden. “eOne and Hasbro were a great home for Round Room starting in early 2018, and I want to thank [CEO] Darren Throop and the eOne and Hasbro teams for their support and partnership. We look forward to continuing to work with Hasbro on live tours for some of its most iconic brands.”

Matt Gibbons with Manhattan West added the “Round Room team has our full support as they continue to expand their global footprint.”

The share purchase deal closed on Friday, Oct. 21.