Wheelhouse Entertainment Acquires Den of Thieves

Wheelhouse Entertainment has made a majority investment in the award-winning live-event, scripted and non-scripted production company Den of Thieves.

Through the alliance, Wheelhouse and Den of Thieves will bolster and broaden their collective programming slate—including on the live-event, concert, awards and experiential marketing fronts—and via multiplatform original series and features, both scripted and unscripted. They will also pursue a range of content and media deals with A-List talent across entertainment, sports and culture.

Additionally, through Wheelhouse Labs, Wheelhouse’s marketing arm and in-house creative agency, the companies will forge opportunities for collaboration with brands seeking innovative ways to engage with talent, studios, networks and streamers, and reach audiences through authentic engagement/experience marketing.

In addition to being the production company of record for the MTV VMAs for the past 13 consecutive years, Den of Thieves will executive produce the upcoming People’s Choice Awards on E!, airing November 10, for the second year in a row. Den of Thieves also holds executive producer credits for the Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour concert special for Netflix, the iHeartRadio Music Awards for Turner Broadcasting, the Radio Disney Music Awards on Disney Channel, The Gong Show on ABC, the Peabody Awards and Ken Jeong’s Netflix special You Complete Me, Ho.

Den of Thieves Co-Founder Evan Prager said: “It’s an exhilarating time for our company and a very exciting time for content creators. We can’t wait to see what Wheelhouse and Den of Thieves will accomplish together.”

Den of Thieves Co-Founder Jesse Ignjatovic said: “When Evan and I launched Den of Thieves 13 years ago, it was to create and produce content that was personally inspiring to us. We have since grown and evolved in an organic way, and the opportunity to join forces with Brent and his incredible team is a perfect match for Den of Thieves.”

Brent Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse Group, added: “What Jesse and Evan have accomplished is beyond extraordinary. From music and comedy to cultural events that galvanize audiences, the creative and logistical challenges inherent in their media phenomena are massive and unrelenting—and of course, they make it look easy, which goes to their immense talent, expertise, and amazing partnership. At a time of so much disruption in our industry, uniting with Den of Thieves not only allows us to scale instantly across the content and event landscape, it also offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with key brands, something we believe will be an integral force in media going forward. Our deal marks a meeting of the minds on multiple levels—from content for TV, streaming and feature film to events and brand experiences—and it is undeniably a major coup for Wheelhouse.”