NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 9, 2026--
LiveCo, creator of the precedent-setting, sold-out SoFi Stadium show with comedians Gabriel Iglesias and Jo Koy, is dramatically broadening its entertainment footprint by merging Icon Concerts and MagicSpace Entertainment into ICON LIVE, a full-service entertainment brand and one of the largest independent promoters and producers of live events.
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The innovative new multi-genre, live entertainment platform combines the concert-promotion capabilities of Icon with the touring-production expertise of MagicSpace Entertainment to create, produce and promote concerts, comedy, theatrical tours and immersive live experiences worldwide.
As a driving force in comedy, Icon Concerts has propelled millions of ticket sales and been a catalyst behind the growth of many notable careers including Jimmy O Yang, Gary Owen, Jeff Dunham, Jo Koy and Gabriel Iglesias. MagicSpace Entertainment has presented national tours, Broadway shows, concerts, museum exhibits and sporting events worldwide, including “Hamilton,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Dancing with the Stars Live,” Robert Plant and Bob Dylan. Its productions include Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, A Magical Cirque Christmas and the “Gold Over America Tour” starring multiple gold medalist Simone Biles.
“Live entertainment continues to evolve toward experience-driven, genre-fluid programming,” said Chuck Steedman, president and CEO of LiveCo. “By bringing Icon Concerts and MagicSpace together under the ICON LIVE banner, we are creating a more powerful and diversified platform that better reflects how audiences consume live experiences today — while positioning us to scale more effectively across the global marketplace.”
ICON LIVE (IconLive.com) will be led by industry veterans Paul Meloche (president), Mike Bernal (executive vice president of booking and production), Kristy Maple (executive vice president of marketing and ticketing) and Dave Stinson (executive vice president of operations), who bring together decades of experience across touring, production and live entertainment. Recently announced Icon executive vice president of global touring Jesse Stoll is also a key part of the management team.
Meloche said, “ICON LIVE can offer broader artist relationships, an expanded touring footprint and diversified revenue streams. It gives us the opportunity to develop and own touring productions while also promoting leading artists and entertainers.”
About LiveCo
LiveCo is a leading live entertainment platform dedicated to delivering high-quality, memorable consumer experiences across a diverse range of genres and formats. The company specializes in faith-based, country, comedy and family-oriented programming, producing and promoting events that connect deeply with audiences nationwide. Through its portfolio of brands — including Icon Concerts, TPR, MagicSpace Entertainment and iTickets — LiveCo offers fully integrated capabilities spanning content creation, event production, marketing and full-service ticketing. This end-to-end model enables LiveCo to deliver compelling live experiences while driving strong engagement for artists, venues and partners.
Industry Leader LiveCo Creates ICON LIVE, New Production and Promotion Powerhouse
Icon Concerts, promoter of recent record-breaking SoFi Stadium comedy show featuring Gabriel Iglesias and Jo Koy, is merging with MagicSpace Entertainment to create ICON LIVE.
MCKINNEY, Texas (AP) — The fatal stabbing of a high school athlete at a Texas track competition was “murder plain and simple,” a prosecutor declared Tuesday before a jury began deliberations in a high-profile trial centered on youth and tragedy at a community sports event.
Karmelo Anthony, now 19, did not testify in his own defense about the killing of Austin Metcalf, 17, whose death in April 2025 stunned Frisco, a booming Dallas suburb where the two students attended different schools.
Jurors heard dueling narratives from prosecutor Bill Wirskye and defense attorney Michael Howard, who repeatedly emphasized during his closing argument that Anthony was defending himself after Metcalf wanted him to exit a tent that belonged to the track team from Frisco Memorial High School.
The courtroom at the Collin County courthouse was packed again as the public passed through an extra security checkpoint to get inside and watch before jurors began their deliberations.
Howard told jurors that Metcalf had “no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo.”
“Texas law does not require that you wait until you get hit,” Howard said. “In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes.”
Wirskye suggested it was strange that a teen would bring a knife to a school sports competition. He said deadly force has to be “immediately necessary” to be legal, and he also noted that Anthony was told roughly a dozen times to leave the rival school's tent, which was perched in the stadium bleachers.
“This is not self-defense, folks. It’s murder plain and simple,” the prosecutor said.
Wirskye also made a broader pitch to the jury: “Ultimately, this case is about accountability. What kind of community do you want to live in.”
Anthony, who was a student at Centennial High School, could face up to life in prison if convicted of murder. Judge John Roach Jr. said the jury also could consider a lesser charge of manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
If jurors don't reach a verdict Tuesday, they'll be sequestered without phones in a hotel.
Over a nearly weeklong trial, Anthony's attorneys sought to show that he was forced to defend himself. Several schools were competing on that rainy day, and Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
Trial witnesses described Anthony as the aggressor. Several students testified that Metcalf pushed Anthony, who then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest. Many questions from the lawyers centered on team culture at track meets and the confrontation in the tent.
One teammate told jurors that Anthony was “distraught” after the stabbing.
“I was hearing him say, ‘I told him not to touch me,’” the teenager testified Monday.
The judge ordered that the names of teenage witnesses not be made public.
The death last year quickly drew wide attention, in part because of social media posts that amplified the case in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white.
After the stabbing, Jeff Metcalf, Austin's father, condemned those who seized on the race of the teens. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys told jurors during the trial that race had nothing to do with the case.
Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
Supporters for Karmelo Anthony demonstrate in front of the Collin County courthouse Thursday, June 4, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
A Collin County seriff drives past the front of the county courthouse Thursday, June 4, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
