Penske Media Corporation announced Monday that it has acquired ATX TV, known for its flagship annual television festival held in Austin, Texas.
ATX TV was founded 12 years ago by Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland as a yearly festival and has developed into a year-round operation focusing on programming and experiences. ATX Television Festival continues drawing industry insiders and fans alike to the four-day June event that features an array of panels, premiere screenings and other draws.
The acquisition of the Austin-based ATX TV will not impact its core team, as co-founders and co-presidents Gipson and McFarland will continue their responsibilities of running the brand. Also continuing in their roles are Laura Kincaid as director of operations and Jennifer Morgan as director of programming.
“We have long admired ATX’s commitment to creating unique content that celebrates every aspect of television,” said Jay Penske, chairman, CEO and founder of PMC, owner of The Hollywood Reporter, in a statement. “Emily and Caitlin have built an incredible community and world class programming over the years, and we look forward to helping them expand their footprint for an even bigger audience in the future.”
McFarland said in a statement that the ATX TV team has an expansive vision for the future, including a focus on digital content, in light of the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presented for live events. “Our partners needed more opportunities to reach audiences and our audience needed one another — but we, ATX TV, also needed more resources to achieve our very big goals,” she said. “We are so proud of all we have done with our team, but we are ready for our next chapter of growth and are thrilled to have Penske Media as partners to help us achieve it together.”
Badges are currently on sale for ATX Television Festival Season 12, set to take place June 1-4, 2023. More information about the festival can be found here.