NEW
YORK, Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Madison
Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: MSGE) ("MSG
Entertainment") and Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) today
announced that Laura Franco, an
accomplished executive with more than 30 years of legal experience,
has been named Executive Vice President and General Counsel for
both companies, effective February
20. Ms. Franco will serve as both companies' chief legal
officer, working closely with their respective leadership teams to
support long-term direction and growth.
In this role, Ms. Franco will oversee all legal functions across
a broad range of disciplines including corporate, commercial,
transactional, litigation, and regulatory matters. She will be
responsible for and direct corporate and business legal affairs for
MSG Entertainment and Sphere Entertainment, including managing the
development, negotiation, and execution of all material business
transactions. Ms. Franco will report to James L. Dolan, who serves as Executive Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of both MSG Entertainment and Sphere
Entertainment.
"We are pleased to welcome Laura to the MSG Family of
Companies," said Mr. Dolan. "Laura's background handling
high-profile corporate and business legal matters at premier media
companies will be a valuable addition to our Legal teams, and we
look forward to leveraging her expertise as both companies pursue
their business strategies."
"The opportunity to take on this role with two leading
entertainment companies is a significant professional milestone,"
said Ms. Franco. "I look forward to working with the management
teams at both companies to ensure we continue to deliver excellence
across our Legal operations and help drive both MSG Entertainment
and Sphere Entertainment's growth initiatives."
Ms. Franco joins the MSG Family of Companies from Bumble Inc.,
the parent company of the global dating and social connection apps
Bumble and Badoo, where she served as Chief Legal and Compliance
Officer. As a member of Bumble Inc.'s executive management
leadership team, she helped oversee its Initial Public Offering;
established public company governance; managed compliance,
litigation and public policy; and advised on corporate strategy,
including mergers and acquisitions, building and protecting the
intellectual property portfolio, product and international
expansion.
Prior to joining Bumble in 2020, Ms. Franco spent more than 25
years at Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation (now "Paramount Global")
in roles of increasing responsibility. In her last role at CBS as
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Ms. Franco spearheaded
critical company initiatives and major company-wide corporate
transactions, including CBS' merger with Viacom in 2019. Ms. Franco
began her legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in the
firm's corporate department where she handled transactions
including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other
strategic alliances and initiatives.
Ms. Franco is a Board Member and Chair of the Safety Committee
at Virgin Voyages, a cruise line.
Ms. Franco received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her Bachelor of Science
degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. is a leader in live
entertainment, delivering unforgettable experiences while forging
deep connections with diverse and passionate audiences. The
Company's portfolio includes a collection of world-renowned venues
– New York's Madison Square
Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music
Hall, and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre – that showcase a
broad array of sporting events, concerts, family shows, and special
events for millions of guests annually. In addition, the Company
features the original production, the Christmas Spectacular
Starring the Radio City Rockettes, which has been a holiday
tradition for 90 years. More information is available at
msgentertainment.com.
About Sphere Entertainment
Sphere Entertainment Co.
is a premier live entertainment and media company. The Company
includes Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium powered by
cutting-edge technologies to redefine the future of entertainment.
The first Sphere venue opened in Las
Vegas in September 2023. In
addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two
regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG
Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated
streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports
content and other programming. More information is available at
sphereentertainmentco.com.
Contact:
MSG Entertainment: msgepr@msg.com
Sphere Entertainment: spherepr@thesphere.com
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SOURCE Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.