Oak view group statement on Anti-Racism

Oak View Group condemns racism in all forms, both institutional and individual racism, as it has no place in sports, live entertainment, or in our larger society. As racial discrimination, injustice, and violence continues to rise and be a part of public discourse, OVG firmly stands against intolerance and hate.  

Although sports and live entertainment has taken some steps that begin to address racism and inequality, there is still much progress to be made across the industry, as evidenced through issues like exploitation of Black athletes, underrepresentation of BIPOC individuals in leadership, and tokenization within the racial composition of the workforce.  

Our commitment to anti-racism is driven by three guiding principles: self-awareness, action, and accountability. As we begin our journey to becoming anti-racist and staying true to our mission, we have developed and will continue to evolve our programs, our practices, and our policies so that they address racial injustices and inequities. Because we own-and-operate and manage venues across the globe, anti-racism is not simply an organizational value – it lives in the fabric of our organization. Our DE&I efforts form our cultural foundation so that our anti-racism work can be intentional and actionable. We are actively promoting racial justice and equity through:   

• Investing in BIPOC Communities – We positively impact communities affected by where we work and the work we do. OVG and our employees donate to organizations working for social justice and equity. We are developing intentional partnerships with community organizations as we look to deepen our investment in underrepresented communities. We have several community outreach programs with predominantly Black and Hispanic school districts in our markets that promote closing the opportunity gap for students within these local, under-resourced communities.  

• Inclusive Talent Acquisition and Management Strategy – OVG will recruit more People of Color into the sports and live events industry to diversify and enhance the talent pipeline that will help increase Black and Latinx representation in our workforce. We will also actively help prepare, introduce, and welcome diverse individuals for careers in the sports and live events industry. We have begun to do this by establishing relationships with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and plan to do the same with Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), tribal colleges, and other diversity-focused industry associations. Additionally, OVG established four Employee Resource Groups, including Black Oaks Network, OVG Women’s Network, OVG Pride, and Hispanic Latin Alliance, as conduits for leadership and professional development within underrepresented groups. We also plan to build a leadership and career development program with a focus on developing existing Black and Latinx (or BIPOC) talent within our company.  

• Addressing Racial Bias in our DE&I Training & Awareness Programming – We understand that anti-racism work is about self-awareness and action, which is why our mandatory DE&I training program includes a heavy focus on identifying and counteracting unconscious racial bias within our processes, policies, and practices. Additionally, OVG has hosted and will continue to host various racial and social changemakers in the industry as part of a companywide DE&I speaker series, which has focused on racial-bias training, identifying micro-aggressions, counteracting bias, and facilitating brave conversations. We will also require all employees to complete racial bias and anti-racism training and will embed it into all customer service training.  

• Supporting BIPOC Businesses Through Supplier Diversity – In October 2022, OVG launched a Supplier Diversity Program to ensure the company’s pipeline of national and local vendors and partners catalyzes investment into under-represented communities and champions economic inclusivity. We pledge to support and serve the communities in which we live and operate.  

• Promoting Accountability with our DE&I Executive Council – OVG has established an executive-level DE&I Council, where all members actively live and champion OVG’s commitment to anti-racism by establishing long-term strategic DE&I goals and objectives that are aimed at institutionalizing racial justice and equity. The leaders in this group will develop an accountability structure to assess progress toward and achievement of companywide DE&I goals.