2024 Impact 50 Honoree: Tim Leiweke

CHAIRMAN & CEO
OAK VIEW GROUP

MONEY MATTERS: More than $5 billion Invested In Arenas
FIRST JOB IN THE BIZ: Assistant General Manager of the St. Louis Steamers

The momentum continues for Oak View Group, Pollstar’s parent company, which has become a powerhouse in live entertainment rather than a mere positive disruption in its nine-year run.

Led by the visionary Leiweke, OVG continues to open major venues and rapidly increase its facility management presence worldwide. That includes gaining contracts to major venues like BOK Center in Tulsa, Footprint Center in Phoenix and McCormick Place in Chicago.

OVG in May opened its first overseas project, the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live in Manchester, United Kingdom, a music-specific building and the largest of its kind in Europe (although construction issues caused a three-week delay in its opening). In the same month, OVG broke ground on a $280 million renovation of FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, which will see the aging arena transformed into another modern,
music-first venue. Other major global projects include arenas in Nigeria, Las Vegas, São Paulo and London.

“We have to pick and choose internationally as well as in the U.S. where our priorities are going to be, whether renovation or a new build. We can’t do them all,” said Leiweke. “I would guess you’re going to see two projects a year introduced by our company going forward.” These developments follow major recent arena openings in CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Acrisure Arena near Palm Springs, and the 2021 acquisition of Spectra, which increased OVG’s size and breadth significantly. Just days ago, the company announced partnering with Loft Entertainment to acquire the popular Canadian Music Week conference.

“Doing what’s right isn’t always the quickest or cheapest way forward but, in the end, our focus is on creating memorable and valuable experiences,” Leiweke said. “We believe that by keeping an eye on innovation, sustainability, quality, safety and inclusion, we can provide an elevated experience for our guests, teams and artists.”

“It’s clear that the appetite for live sports and entertainment is stronger than ever,” Leiweke added. “It’s our job to make that experience as valuable and memorable as possible, and I think we are doing that.”