On The Potential Sale of the Grand Ole Opry
Ryman Hospitality Properties, which owns The Grand Ole Opry, The Grand Ole Opry House, The Ryman Auditorium (a.k.a. the “Mother Church of Country Music”), along with a host of other assets under its “Opry Entertainment Group” is looking to sell an ownership stake in the business to an even bigger firm, and is letting the public know about it. This happened Wednesday afternoon (6-24) when the company confirmed they’re actively courting potential buyers.
Colin Reed, Executive Chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties said in a statement,
“We are incredibly proud of our OEG (Opry Entertainment Group) business and of our role as stewards of these historic and iconic brands, which are deeply important to the country music community and the markets we serve. We remain focused on bringing artists and audiences together through iconic live entertainment experiences. We have previously shared our view that enabling OEG to operate outside of our REIT structure over time is important for its long-term growth trajectory, and we believe strategic partnerships can further support its growth.
“With the rise in global popularity of country music and the increasing demand for live experiences, we have received inbound interest from a range of organizations seeking to partner with our entertainment business. In that context, we have engaged Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to assist in evaluating potential opportunities. We expect to play an integral role in the continued growth of OEG irrespective of any strategic partnerships being considered. The Company has not entered into any agreements, and there are no assurances that any transaction will occur.”
Similar to the recent news reports about Garth Brooks potentially looking to sell his catalog for $2 billion, the likely reason Ryman Hospitality is publicly broadcasting its interest in selling part or all of its Opry Entertainment Group holdings is to attempt to get as many suitors interested as possible to help drive up the price. This is also the reason for the talk about “the rise in global popularity of country music and the increasing demand for live experiences” in Executive Chairman Colin Reed’s statement. They believe country music is peaking at the moment, and so the valuation has never been higher, and it’s a seller’s market.
If Ryman Hospitality Properties sells off some or most of Opry Entertainment Group or a significant percentage of the business, it might not have any affect on these historic country music institutions at all as Colin Reed said, and it might not even happen in the first place. Or it could be a very major development if some massive private equity firm like BlackRock or Blackwater becomes a partner or majority stakeholder in country music’s most storied institution in the Grand Ole Opry.
In 2012 when Ryman Hospitality converted to a Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT, the idea that entertainment would take a back seat to real estate concerns was a fundamental worry, voiced by Saving Country Music and partners in the transaction. It meant that the business that owned the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman were no longer in the entertainment business. They were in the real estate business. Or to boil it down even further, they were in the money making business.
Even CEO Colin Reed said in his statement about the potential sale, “We have previously shared our view that enabling OEG to operate outside of our REIT structure over time is important for its long-term growth trajectory,” meaning the company doesn’t even see The Grand Ole Opry prospering under the management of a real estate company.
Currently, The Opry Entertainment Group, which is a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, owns 70% of its own assets. The company sold off 30% of its equity to NBC Universal and Atairos in 2022 for $293 million. The hope at the time was the sale might mean the return of the Opry to network television, as well as other “synergies” between the two companies. But the results of the investment have been mixed at best for both parties so far.
The main outcome of the partnership was the launching of the People’s Choice Country Awards, which at the time constituted a fourth annual country awards show. First held in 2023, out of the chute it was fair to question what the staying power of the awards would be. In 2024 when Zach Bryan, Beyonce, and Kacey Musgraves led the nominations, but none of them showed—nor did the top winner Morgan Wallen—the writing was on the wall. When the PCCAs were quietly cancelled for 2025, barely anyone even took notice.
It’s also important to understand that the assets controlled by Ryman Hospitality Properties don’t just begin and and end with the Grand Ole Opry. They own WSM Radio, and the Ole Red and Category 10 venues with multiple locations across the United States. They also own the 37-story, full city block-sized mixed-use complex in downtown Austin along second street known as “Block 21” that houses the 2,750-seat Moody Theater where Austin City Limits is taped, and ACL Live events happen weekly.
Opry Entertainment Group also owns a minority stake in the country music/lifestyle media outlet Whiskey Riff.
A major sale could potentially affect all of these assets, so it is something that people who care about the future of these historic country music institutions should pay close attention to. It’s a tale as old as time for massive private equity firms to buy into iconic American brands like the Grand Ole Opry, mismanage the assets, implement draconian cost cutting measures, and then liquidate assets until they completely erode what made the original company cool or important to begin with.
As we’re witnessing with the recent sale of Pizza Hut after years of mismanagement, along with other iconic American brands, investments by private equity can sometimes spell disaster. That’s not a forgone conclusion for The Grand Ole Opry and the Opry Entertainment Group. But it is definitely something concerned country fans should keep an eye on.
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June 25, 2026 @ 9:13 am
Any potential buyers will be out to get a return on their investment. What outsider group with the winning bid is going to view booking Gene Watson occasionally and Vince Gill residencies as a return on that investment? None.
June 25, 2026 @ 9:29 am
The Opry sold out years ago.
Postmodernism already eroded American society. Preserving ashes of burned down cathedrals.
June 25, 2026 @ 9:51 am
Hey Country Knight,
When are you going to give us your negative take on things?
June 25, 2026 @ 10:05 am
When you delete the space between Country and Knight.
June 25, 2026 @ 10:22 am
So sorry. Didn’t mean to offend.
June 25, 2026 @ 10:26 am
Common courtesy is citing someone’s moniker correctly, Tom in VA.
As for your snarky question, I call things as I see them. The Opry lost any respect when they stopped upholding their standard attendance policy for active members and inducted a bunch of fake country singers.
June 25, 2026 @ 12:34 pm
Hollowing out institutions and milking them dry and leaving them broken isn’t postmodernism. It’s capitalism. The endless hunger and drive for more growth more money. The grand ole opry cannot simply be a radio and tv show which plays good country music. It has to grow. It has to be bigger has to make more money. And to do that well you will tolerate stars not keeping their obligations you will allow frauds who don’t play country music. Because to have values and stand for something would deliver less value for shareholders. That’s capitalism.
Private equity of course is the apex predator of capitalism. Legalized mafia bust outs. Get your hooks in, run up bills on the joints credit, and when they td all gone it’s all worthless; light a match.
June 25, 2026 @ 12:42 pm
Wow. You completely misread my comment to embark on a Marxist screed. Amazing, really.
The Opry buyer doesn’t matter. The institution itself already sold out the culture it claimed to represent. Its founders would be aghast at what music is allowed on-stage. Chewbacca Mask Mom played there.
Postmodernism rejects absolute truths, universal claims, and “grand narratives,” instead emphasizing the socially constructed nature of reality, fragmentation, and the idea that meaning is subjective and contextual.
Its diseases sickened the Opry and American society years ago. Everything it stands for is the opposite of rural existence.
Worrying about private equity selling out Opry’s ashes, to borrow a country idiom, is locking the barn door after the horses escaped.
June 25, 2026 @ 1:01 pm
This is true:
Postmodernism rejects absolute truths, universal claims, and “grand narratives,” instead emphasizing the socially constructed nature of reality, fragmentation, and the idea that meaning is subjective and contextual.
But has nothing to do with the opry. The opry sold out its culture in pursuit of money because we are controlled by capitalism which demands this. The reason they let stars shirk their obligations is because holding them to account would mean they don’t do the few shows they do show up for. Which would mean less money.
June 26, 2026 @ 7:57 am
Where in your reply did you acknowledge that capitalism built the institution in the first instance? Funny how leftists bemoan the end without acknowledging the beginning. What condition was The Ryman, Opryland and the GOO before that evil capitalist money came into those institutions?
June 25, 2026 @ 1:04 pm
Waddup CountryKnight
When you get a chance and if you don’t mind, please help me understand of Postmodernism? If possible, as simply as possible.
Thank you and have a joyful day!
June 25, 2026 @ 2:45 pm
A doctrine that is morally and spiritually bankrupt. The religion of nihilists.
June 25, 2026 @ 2:48 pm
Can we please keep the discussion on the sale of the Grand Ole Opry please? This is a country music website, and this could be a very big deal if a sale goes through.
June 25, 2026 @ 7:08 pm
I rather enjoyed this thread, Trigger. I agree the sale of the Opry could be a big deal, I also believe the comments in this particular thread fit with the article. It’s all connected.
June 26, 2026 @ 6:51 pm
You nailed it.
June 25, 2026 @ 9:40 am
death knell
June 25, 2026 @ 10:08 am
I get your sentiment. Big investors dont guarantee musical integrity. In fact they threaten it.
Heres hoping Dan Rodgers is allowed to keep his role in the Opry. Hes done remarkably well keeping the core sound of the music a constant thing. Country Classics for example is a great summertime feature I always look forward to.
June 25, 2026 @ 11:25 am
Dan Rogers has done a really good job with the Opry ever since taking over. Of course there’s some flies in the ointment. Jelly Roll, and the fact that maybe he’s being TOO permissive with some of the debuts. But he’s really brought the institution into the new century after years of mismanagement. All the people who say “The Opry sold out years ago” are just giving stock answers. In truth, it did sell out years ago. Dan helped it sell back in.
June 25, 2026 @ 10:20 am
I recall seeing the Opry many years ago and I thought it had aged poorly. I could not see it lasting. I have seen it more recently and thought it had reinvented itself well and had more relevance to it without losing sight of tradition. It is a special institution and is one of the reason country music is special. Long may it thrive.
June 25, 2026 @ 10:41 am
I would argue you are being far too kind when saying “private equity sometimes spells disaster”. To my eye, it sure seems like 9/10 times private equity buying into something leads to disaster. Private equity bought into some rural hospitals and then shut them down. Private equity pushed the pedal down on the death of the newspaper. Private equity has helped make it so home ownership is a pipe dream for many Americans, while also helping raise their rents.
So yeah, the Opry was already a damaged brand with questionable relevance moving forward, but it can always be much, much, much, much worse. And if P.E. buying into the Opry we all know the direction it is headed and it ain’t one with a happy ending.
June 25, 2026 @ 12:44 pm
Newspapers killed themselves. The local newspapers hired indoctrinated journalists who didn’t fit the community or either wrote biased articles filled with lies.
“You forgot the first rule of mass media, Elliot! Give the people what they want!”
June 25, 2026 @ 8:01 pm
Newspapers were in decline, but the combination of P.E. and big tech stuck a knife in them.
Also, I would note the papers with the journalists you hate are still alive. The ones that died were papers mostly covering local events in mid-sized communities.
You can bitch about some 20-something in middle America not representing their community, but I also think a world where nobody is covering county commission meetings while they sell out locals to data centers developers and people can only learn about what is happening in their community via a Facebook group is shittier than what you are complaining about.
June 26, 2026 @ 6:05 am
Mike, the tiny town i live in had a little newspaper that was largely the handiwork of a town local who reported on all the things you mentioned. He actually attended zoning meetings, reported about tax levys , crime, school sports etc. It was great. Then the owner of the paper put it up for sale. It was purchased by a big company and it’s back in print again but things are way different. No more local coverage of zoning meetings, town counsel meetings, tax levys and the like. Now they write about fluff. Craft fairs, little festivals, the occasional high school sports articles and pieces about current movies. Total crap. The former reporter was offered his job back but under stipulation that he wouldn’t report on all the important things he used to cover. He told them where to go. Hes now retired unfortunately. And like you mention the only coverage of the important stuff is on a Facebook page where locals vent frustration. Sad times.
June 27, 2026 @ 7:57 am
“The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods & errors.”
-Thomas Jefferson
June 27, 2026 @ 8:20 am
Hey CountryKnight,
From what I’ve heard, some of the papers back then were only too happy to drag Mr. Jefferson through the mud, so he may have been biased.
June 25, 2026 @ 11:20 am
The old guard Opry/Gaylord management team really screwed the pooch when they hired Colin Reed. I saw the potential sale of the Ryman and Opry House on the horizon when management started hyping the 100th anniversary of the Opry. My feeling was they’d promote and capitalize on that landmark anniversary and when the value of said properties peaked, sell it off. Well, here we are and that is exactly what is playing out.
June 25, 2026 @ 11:25 am
The artists who made the Opry the Opry are dead.
Or they are near dead and can maybe come out and sing a song, but cannot put on a show.
The Opry can either put on former hitmakers if they cang get them–Tracy Lawrence, Joe Nichols, Crystal Gayle, Laurie Morgan, Pam Tillis, Aaropn Tippin, Marty Stuart, T Graaham Brown et al, or old-timey acoustic/bluegrass acts, or no-name artists who never had hits, but immitate the old legends, or it can go modern.
Or they can try mixing it up and do it one way on some nights and the other way on otther nights.
Porter Wagoner, Jimmy Dickens and Minnie Pearl ain’t coming back.
June 25, 2026 @ 11:40 am
Oprah Winfrey should buy it and rename it the Grand Ole Oprah.
June 25, 2026 @ 1:55 pm
Sign me up for land acknowledgements and slam poetry at the grand ol Oh-pry. Haha.
June 25, 2026 @ 2:31 pm
This is the only comment you’ve left here that’s made a lick of sense. Congratulations big bad jilm.
June 25, 2026 @ 1:39 pm
Progess is regress.
June 25, 2026 @ 2:23 pm
Oh, goody. More of America’s patrimony can be financialized so absurdly rich people can eat the seed corn. I’m sure this will end well.
June 25, 2026 @ 3:46 pm
Remember when Ryman Properties decided a large mall would better serve the public than an amusement park only open from April to October? And in a flood plain, no less?
Same old, same old.
June 25, 2026 @ 7:11 pm
“We are incredibly proud of our OEG (Opry Entertainment Group) business and of our role as stewards of these historic and iconic brands…”
Blah, blah, blah. Like everything in this chaotic world, it’s all about the $$$$$$$.
June 25, 2026 @ 7:29 pm
Something about that quote is the opposite of reassuring.
June 25, 2026 @ 10:12 pm
I’d hate to see things sold to an even larger conglomerate. That said… WSM stands for We Shield Millions and was started by a massive insurance company back in the 1920s. Selling ads and making money has been at the core since day one. The National Life and Accident Insurance Company minted money off The Grand Ole Opry by selling ads and courting sponsors with business trips to Nashville to see and engage with the cast of the show.
Again, I’m not advocating for Silicon Valley Tech Bros to take ownership. I’m just trying to point out that making money IS the reason The Grand Ole Opry exists and to think otherwise is just silly.
June 26, 2026 @ 7:59 am
Ask Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar if Disney made them better companies.
June 26, 2026 @ 1:33 pm
Or the ABC-TV network…
June 27, 2026 @ 11:10 am
Disney’s distribution deal made Pixar. Forcing Lassiter out ruined Pixar, though.
June 27, 2026 @ 2:06 pm
Here’s hoping there’s a path forward for the Opry that honors and builds on tradition while still remaining fresh, relevant and viable. But they’ve already inducted Jelly Roll as a permanent member, whom we’ll now have to listen to on the Opry twenty or thirty years from now, so the institution is no stranger to making bad decisions.