Authentic Brands Group Eyes IPO Within 12 Months as New CEO Takes the Helm

CNBC reported Wednesday that Authentic Brands Group founder Jamie Salter expects the Reebok and Champion parent to go public within the next 12 months. The announcement came alongside a leadership transition that Salter described as essential groundwork for the Authentic Brands Group IPO.

A New Leader With Public Market Credentials

Authentic Brands Group has named Matt Maddox as its incoming chief executive. Maddox joined the firm as president in January 2025 after spending roughly two decades at casino giant Wynn Resorts. During that time he held the roles of CFO, president and ultimately CEO of the Nasdaq-listed company, which carries a market capitalisation near $10 billion.

Salter will shift into an executive chairman role. He told CNBC his priority going forward is dealmaking and long-term strategy. Growing the company to a $100 billion enterprise over five years demands that he devote all of his attention to mergers and acquisitions, he explained. Maddox, meanwhile, will oversee day-to-day operations with a mandate to drive organic growth and deliver value to shareholders and partners.

Two Prior Filing Attempts Fell Short

This is not the first time Authentic has moved toward public markets. Salter told CNBC the company filed for an IPO twice before only to be acquired by private equity at valuations exceeding its planned listing price on both occasions. He said the business has now grown large enough that a buyout at a premium seems less likely to derail the process this time around.

Authentic generates approximately $38 billion in system-wide retail sales across a portfolio of more than 50 brand names. Alongside Reebok and Champion, the stable includes Brooks Brothers, Sports Illustrated, Guess and Juicy Couture. The company has also built high-profile partnerships with figures including Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham and Kevin Hart.

Entertainment Becomes the Growth Engine

Salter signalled that Authentic’s acquisition appetite is shifting away from its traditional base in apparel and lifestyle. Entertainment currently represents around 20% of revenues, with the remaining 80% coming from beauty and lifestyle properties. He said he expects entertainment to reach roughly half of total business activity over time.

His reasoning centres on a straightforward premise. Content, in his view, directly drives consumer spending, making entertainment IP an increasingly valuable lever for the licensing model that underpins the entire Authentic business.

Maddox’s appointment as a “Wall Street CEO,” as Salter put it to CNBC, appears designed to give investors the kind of public-company operator they expect before a major listing. With the leadership structure now in place, analysts and retail observers will be watching closely for a formal SEC filing.

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