Wheelhouse acquires Den of Thieves

Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse Entertainment has acquired a majority stake in live event, scripted and unscripted production company Den of Thieves.

Jesse Ignjatovic

Co-founded by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves is behind event programming including the MTV Video Music Awards and the E! People’s Choice Awards. It also has executive producer credits for Netflix’s concert special Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour.

Through the alliance, the US-based firms will bolster their collective programming slate, including live event, concert and awards content and 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 established and emerging brands seeking innovative ways to engage with talent, studios, networks and streamers.

Evan Prager

Montgomery, the former ITV America CEO who founded Wheelhouse Group last January, said: “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.”

Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic added: “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.”

Wheelhouse has been in rapid expansion mode since launch, bringing in A+E Networks veteran Sean Cohan in November last year and teaming with talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel in his Kimmelot venture.