MONTREAL, Quebec (CelebrityAccess) — ICM Partners and their longtime client, Canadian comedian Howie Mandel have teamed up to lead a consortium of investors that has acquired Just For Laughs Group / Groupe Juste pour rire, producers of comedy festivals, tours and television specials.
The announcement was made by Canadian comedian Howie Mandel, Chris Silbermann, Managing Director, ICM Partners, and Pierre-Marc Johnson, chairman of the board of the Just For Laughs Festival.
The deal will allow the Just For Laughs brand to continue its international growth while leaving the current leadership for the brand’s successful festival portfolio in place.
Just For Laughs has expanded considerably since it launched as a French comedy festival in Montreal in 1983. Today, the Just For Laughs brand has subsidiaries in the United States and France, and ahs production and content deals in 135 countries.
This year’s 36th annual Festival Juste pour rire – Just For Laughs Festival will run in Montreal from July 14 to July 28, 2018.
“Just For Laughs has done a phenomenal job of producing the world’s most respected comedy festival for decades and have built that into a very successful global comedy business,” said Chris Silbermann, Managing Director, ICM Partners. “We see a great opportunity to work with them to grow the global comedy brand, in both French and English speaking comedy, while allowing the team on the ground in Montreal to continue to produce the festival as they have so successfully for all these years.”
“I have always been a big fan of Montreal and the Just For Laughs festival. I have performed at JFL many times over the last 10 years, and I have nothing but love for this event. I consider it to be a cultural treasure not only for the Montreal and Quebec communities, but also for Canada; and I am very excited to be part of this group of investors that will ensure the Festival’s long term success, while growing their global comedy brand,” added Howie Mandel.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
