Allen Shapiro
Allen Shapiro | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Media executive, investor, entertainment attorney |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Known for | Executive chairman and CEO of Dick Clark Productions, chairman of TV Guide, managing partner at Mosaic Media Investment Partners |
Allen Shapiro is a seasoned media executive and investor, recognized for his past roles as executive chairman and CEO of Dick Clark Productions (DCP), former chairman of TV Guide, and as an entertainment attorney. He acted as executive producer on DCP’s signature shows, managing their development, production, and licensing processes. Since 1999, he has held the position of managing partner at Mosaic Media Investment Partners, a company specializing in production and talent management.
Life and career
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Shapiro earned his Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 1972.
Entertainment lawyer
Shapiro launched his professional journey within the Office of the General Counsel at Playboy Enterprises in Chicago. By 1983, he had joined Gipson Hoffman & Pancione as a partner, representing high-profile clients such as Robert Redford, Sean Connery, and Miramax. He also headed the music division at Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz & Selvin, focusing on legal matters related to music and entertainment.
Media industries
In 1999, Shapiro played a pivotal role in merging Gold/Miller Management with Atlas Entertainment, resulting in the establishment of Mosaic Media Investment Partners where he assumed the role of managing partner. Prior to this, as president and CEO of The IndieProd Company, he orchestrated its acquisition by Carolco Pictures Inc. IndieProd was responsible for producing films including Universal Soldier, Air America, Roxanne, L.A. Story, Footloose, and All That Jazz.
Shapiro led the leveraged buyout of DCP from Dick Clark in 2004 and took on the CEO position. The company was later sold to RedZone Capital Management in 2007. Following an acquisition by Guggenheim Partners, Mandalay Entertainment, and Mosaic Media in 2012, Shapiro returned as CEO. He served as co-executive producer for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" and its subsequent editions hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
In 2008, together with One Equity Partners, a division of JPMorgan Chase, Shapiro acquired the TV Guide Network from Macrovision Solutions Corporation for approximately $255 million. The following year, he forged a joint venture between TV Guide and Lionsgate, taking on the chairman role while directing business strategy and overseeing profit and loss responsibilities.
In 2013, Shapiro collaborated with Keshet International to create Keshet DCP, a joint enterprise aimed at financing and producing unscripted television content for both U.S. and international audiences. This included the live talent competition Rising Star. That same year, DCP produced major events such as the American Music Awards and the 71st Golden Globe Awards. In 2014, DCP secured a multi-year broadcasting agreement with CBS for the Hollywood Film Awards.
Shapiro made his first appearance on Billboard’s Power 100 List in 2014 and was featured on Billboard’s "TV’s Top Music Power Players" list in 2015.
His investment portfolio spans sports and entertainment ventures including Los Angeles-based football club Team Liquid,[1] Blaze Pizza, Skims, Epic Games, Niantic, Next VR, and he was an investor in Aviation Gin, which was sold to Diageo for $610 million.
In September 2020, Shapiro joined forces with John D. Howard to establish Celebrands,[2] focusing on building and acquiring consumer-oriented companies.
By December 2020,[3] Shapiro co-founded Bright Lights Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that raised $200 million during its January 2021 initial public offering. The board includes singer-songwriter Ciara and media executive Peter Guber. In November 2021, Bright Lights announced a $1 billion SPAC merger with men’s grooming startup Manscaped.
In 2021, Shapiro co-executive produced the film adaptation of Dennis McDougal’s unauthorized biography of Lew Wasserman titled The Last Mogul, portraying MCA chairman Wasserman alongside his influential attorney Sidney Korshak.
Mosaic Media Group
Mosaic Media manages a roster of prominent figures including Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, Green Day, and Alanis Morissette. The company has been involved in producing notable films such as Get Smart and The Dark Knight. Its portfolio extends to the acquisition of music rights from Hamstein Music Group, known for artists like ZZ Top and Clint Black, as well as Daksel Seldak Music, which represents Aerosmith. Additionally, Mosaic expanded its business by obtaining the Time Life infomercial division. In 2002, Mosaic participated in the group that privatized Dick Clark Productions.
Noteworthy film projects include:
- Rollerball (2002)
- Scooby-Doo (2002)
- Bulletproof Monk (2003)
- Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
- Kicking & Screaming (2005)
- The Brothers Grimm (2005)
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
- Idlewild (2006)
- Live! (2007)
- The Bank Job (2008)
- Semi-Pro (2008)
- What Happens in Vegas (2008)
- Get Smart (2008)
- Step Brothers (2008)
- Land of the Lost (2009)
- She's Out of My League (2010)
- The Other Guys (2010)
- Bad Teacher (2011)
- The Lazarus Effect (2015)
- Holmes & Watson (2018)
Television productions
- Bad Teacher (2014)
- Apollo Gauntlet (2016)
- Weird City (2019)
- The Stand (2020–21)