AEG, as a corporation, owns and operates Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Getty Images) Food, ticketing and events components could be key as companies with differing strategies combine as ASM Global The blockbuster merger of AEG Facilities and SMG Worldwide should not greatly affect the venue operations side, industry officials said. But they say it’s worth keeping an eye on the evolution of the companies’ ticketing, events and food service businesses, because all three ancillaries provide critical revenue sources. The companies, which are the two biggest players in the private management of sports and entertainment venues, announced in early February that they have formed a definitive merger, creating a new entity that will be called ASM Global. Financial terms were not disclosed. AEG Facilities and Onex, a private equity firm that acquired SMG for $1 billion in 2017, will each own 50 percent of the new company. The merger will… Continue Reading AEG Facilities-SMG Merger: Watch for the Ancillaries