The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) has purchased Live Nation's UK theatres for £90m (US$147.5m, 100.6m euro).

The acquisition makes ATG the largest theatre operator in the UK - with 39 venues - and sees the company adding both the Lyceum and the Apollo Victoria in London's West End to a portfolio which already includes the Comedy, Donmar Warehouse, Duke of York's, Fortune, Phoenix, Piccadilly, Playhouse and Savoy theatres, plus Trafalgar Studios 1 and 2. Not included in the agreement was Live Nation's one third share of the Dominion theatre, which has been sold to the Nederlander Group.

The deal also includes 14 provincial theatres - New Theatre Oxford, Oxford Old Fire Station, Edinburgh Playhouse, Manchester Opera House, Manchester Palace, Bristol Hippodrome, Alexandra Birmingham, York Grand Opera House, Liverpool Empire, Sunderland Empire, Southport, Grimsby Auditorium, Spa Pavilion Felixstowe and the Leas Cliff Hall. In addition, ATG has recently won the right to operate the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, due to open next year. Former Director General of the BBC, Greg Dyke, has been appointed by ATG - co-founded by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire in 1992 - to the new role of Executive Chairman.

Pic: Aylesbury's Waterside Theatre