Sources Say SMG Up For Sale; AEG Denies Having Interest

Morgan Stanley had a March 9 deadline for collecting bids for SMG, which operates 11 major league sports venues and is “most definitely for sale,” according to sources cited by Don Muret of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Comcast-Spectacor and AEG would be the “obvious parties interested in acquiring SMG’s 180 public assembly facility accounts.” But AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke said that his company is “not interested despite the fact that AEG is pursuing more third-party deals outside of the arenas and stadiums where it does not hold equity.” Morgan Stanley Exec Dir K. Don Cornwell, a former NFL exec, is handling the sale of SMG, which is co-owned by Aramark and Hyatt Corp. He did not return a phone call or e-mail for comment (SBJ, 3/19 issue).