Platinum Equity Advisors, the Beverly Hills-based private equity firm helmed by Tom Gores, purchased the in-flight entertainment and connectivity company Anuvu Operations for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition of the Lombard, Illinois-based Anuvu comes as the private equity firm expects to see growth in the airline and travel industry, opening investment opportunities to delve into new markets. Anuvu currently provides in-flight entertainment and connectivity services for 150 airlines and 30 cruise lines.

“As passenger traffic continues to grow, we are encouraged to see carriers making substantial new investments in both connectivity and entertainment, improving passenger and guest experiences,” said Jacob Kotzubei, co-president at Platinum, in a statement.

Dan Krasner, managing director at Platinum, added in a statement:

“We see the opportunity to leverage Anuvu’s content and technology capabilities to expand further into adjacent markets, including non-theatrical verticals, media processing and delivery, advertising and other custom services.”

Expansion plans

The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter of this year. Joshua Marks, current chief executive officer of Anuvu, will remain in his role. In a statement, he said that the company has focused developing business in areas where it has developed a forte.

“We recently activated the Anuvu Constellation, providing dedicated aviation satellite capacity over North America,” said Marks. “In parallel, we continue to expand our media partnerships to license, localize and distribute distinctive content to the world’s leading airlines and cruise lines.”

Anuvu was formerly named Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. Under that moniker, the company declared chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, emerging out the following year after a sale to an investment group.