Broadway Theater Owners Express Interest in Purchasing Stephen Colbert Show's Theater

[macbeth]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 9:56am

https://archive.is/bfnTM

An individual close to Madison Square Garden Entertainment executive chairman and CEO James Dolan told TheWrap he would be interested in the Ed Sullivan Theater if Paramount looks to sell. Other potential buyers who have previously expressed interest over the years include Broadway theater owners The Nederlander and Shubert Organizations. Experts also said the space would be a good fit for Broadway theater owner ATG Entertainment or commercial real estate developers like SL Green Realty, Vornado Realty Trust, Tishman Speyer or Brookfield Properties.

 

[Dom P]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 10:52am

macbeth said: "https://archive.is/bfnTM

An individual close to Madison Square Garden Entertainment executive chairman and CEO James Dolan told TheWrap he would be interested in the Ed Sullivan Theater if Paramount looks to sell. Other potential buyers who have previously expressed interest over the years include Broadway theater owners The Nederlander and Shubert Organizations. Experts also said the space would be a good fit for Broadway theater owner ATG Entertainment or commercial real estate developers like SL Green Realty, Vornado Realty Trust, Tishman Speyer or Brookfield Properties.

"SL Green". No casino at the Ed Sullivan Theater!!! I'd prefer it be ATG, or the Shuberts.

 

[theatrejunkie007]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 11:15am

Dom P said: "macbeth said: "https://archive.is/bfnTM

An individual close to Madison Square Garden Entertainment executive chairman and CEO James Dolan told TheWrap he would be interested in the Ed Sullivan Theater if Paramount looks to sell. Other potential buyers who have previously expressed interest over the years include Broadway theater owners The Nederlander and Shubert Organizations. Experts also said the space would be a good fit for Broadway theater owner ATG Entertainment or commercial real estate developers like SL Green Realty, Vornado Realty Trust, Tishman Speyer or Brookfield Properties.

"SL Green". No casino at the Ed Sullivan Theater!!! I'd prefer it be ATG, or the Shuberts.

 

Another Bway theatre in the mix would OBVIOUSLY be FANTASTIC!

 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 12:17pm

I certainly hope Dolan doesn’t acquire it, but interest in buying has to coupled with an interest in selling for this to matter at all. 

[saxpower]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 12:59pm

I believe the interior's landmarked, so that would limit what Real Estate Devlopers can do, especially the interior.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:10pm

saxpower said: "I believe the interior's landmarked, so that would limit what Real Estate Devlopers can do, especially the interior."

Does this include the office building?

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:23pm

It’s just the theatre itself. The officer tower that surrounds it would be fair game.

[Idiot]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:32pm

saxpower said: "I believe the interior's landmarked, so that would limit what Real Estate Devlopers can do, especially the interior."

Thanks for this reminder.  I was immediately worried that Dolan saw a space for Sphere 2 in Manhattan. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:37pm

I see Disney buying it.  They’d outbid everyone else 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:39pm

Call_me_jorge said: "saxpower said: "I believe the interior's landmarked, so that would limit what Real Estate Devlopers can do, especially the interior."

Does this include the office building?"

Not to my understanding. Everything I’ve read (including the ‘88 breakdown from the Landmark Preservation Commission) specifically touches on the theater/lobbies/entrances/etc, not the office building. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:40pm

Birdie Boy said: "I see Disney buying it. They’d outbid everyone else"

Disney has demonstrated no interest in anything like this. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 1:52pm

Well apparently they produce broadway shows without being credited, so it seems like they work in a stealthy manner. 

[merle57]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 3:57pm

Whoever purchases it should return it to the original name -- Hammerstein -- for all three generations of the Hammerstein family who have graced Broadway with wonderful musical theatre productions.  Ed Sullivan no longer needs a theatre in his name - he was not a broadway legend. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 4:04pm

ALW should buy it and name it after himself. Plenty of theatre owners have done so in the past. He has a genuine interest in and respect for heritage architecture (can the same be said for the other interested parties?), and he’s as deserving of a theatre with his name on it as anyone else.  

[Kad]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 4:05pm

It’s been 90 years since the venue had a theatrical production. And it only had theatre productions for 9 years before becoming a studio and none of those productions were even particularly noteworthy. This is not some lost, legendary theatre space- its history as a television studio is far more substantial. 

Updated On: 9/2/25 at 04:05 PM

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 4:16pm

I watched a documentary on Ed Sullivan the other day, let me tell you the man was amazing and certainly a legend.  The only reason CBS would want to keep it is if they intend on doing a new show with a studio audience. Thats it.  The space doesn’t work as a news place.  Barring that, it should absolutely be turned back into a broadway house.