42West is an entertainment publicity firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, owned by Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ: DLPN) and led by CEO Amanda Lundberg. Dolphin's 2026 releases describe four divisions: Talent, Strategic Communications, Entertainment Marketing, and Fandoms & Franchises. EPR's own coverage dates the firm's start to 2004 as The Dart Group, founded by Leslee Dart, with the 42West name from 2006.
Entertainment & Media
EPR Editorial Team5 min read
42West: Dolphin-Owned Entertainment PR, CEO Amanda Lundberg
EPR Editorial Team5 min read
Company Info
- Founded: 2004, as The Dart Group by Leslee Dart, and renamed 42West in 2006 when Allan Mayer joined, per EPR's coverage and a Crunchbase company description
- Headquarters: New York, with an office in Los Angeles, per Dolphin's April 2026 release
- Leadership: Amanda Lundberg, CEO, per Dolphin's April and May 2026 releases. Agility PR reported Dart and Lundberg as co-CEOs in 2018, and EPR's coverage says Lundberg became sole CEO in March 2020
- Ownership: Subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment, which also owns The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects and The Digital Dept, per Dolphin. Dolphin acquired 42West on March 30, 2017
- Divisions: Talent, Strategic Communications, Entertainment Marketing, and Fandoms & Franchises, per Dolphin. Dolphin said it acquired the business that became Fandoms & Franchises in 2021 and rebranded it in January 2024
- Specialty: Entertainment and celebrity publicity, film release and awards campaigns, strategic communications
- Clients named by Dolphin: Cineverse, GKIDS, Miramax, Prime Focus Studios and Toho International at CinemaCon 2026; Lundberg's Dolphin biography lists talent clients including Tom Cruise, Guillermo del Toro and Paul Feig
- Website: 42west.net
- Last verified: October 18, 2026, against Dolphin Entertainment releases of April 17 and May 27, 2026, Dolphin's January 2024 release, Dolphin's 2017 annual report, Wikipedia, Deadline, Lundberg's Dolphin biography and Agility PR.
Originally published June 2026. Updated October 22, 2026.
Who founded 42West?
Leslee Dart founded The Dart Group in 2004, and the firm became 42West in 2006 when Allan Mayer joined as a partner, according to EPR's coverage; see EPR's Leslee Dart profile. A Crunchbase company description says Amanda Lundberg teamed up with Dart a few months after the founding and describes the firm as having grown over its first decade into the largest independently owned public relations firm in the entertainment industry. Agility PR confirms that Dart and Lundberg later led it as co-CEOs, with Dart heading the Talent Division and Lundberg overseeing a content creation initiative.
What is 42West's history and timeline?
| Year | Milestone | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Leslee Dart founds The Dart Group | EPR; Crunchbase |
| 2006 | Firm renamed 42West after Allan Mayer joins the partnership | EPR; Crunchbase |
| March 30, 2017 | Dolphin Entertainment acquires 42West in an all-stock deal of about $28 million, including up to $9.3 million in performance-based contingent consideration | Wikipedia (Dolphin Entertainment) |
| 2018 | Dart and Lundberg lead as co-CEOs; firm announces an initiative to create original content for clients | Deadline; Agility PR |
| March 2020 | Lundberg becomes sole CEO as Dart moves into a senior advisory role at Dolphin | YesPress; EPR |
| 2021 | Dolphin acquires the business that becomes Fandoms & Franchises | Dolphin |
| January 2024 | Fandoms & Franchises rebranded | Dolphin |
| 2026 | Lundberg quoted as CEO in Dolphin's April and May releases | Dolphin |
Who leads 42West?
Amanda Lundberg is CEO of 42West, quoted as CEO in Dolphin's April 17, 2026 and May 27, 2026 releases. Her Dolphin biography says she heads the Entertainment Marketing Division and previously held senior publicity roles at Miramax and MGM. Dolphin CEO Bill O'Dowd praised the firm's work at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Dolphin calls 42West its flagship PR business. Wikipedia reports that Dart joined Dolphin's board in June 2020 and serves as a strategic advisor to the company. Zonebourse lists Mayer as a principal at 42West from 2006 to 2017 and a Dolphin director from 2017 to 2020.
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Amanda Lundberg | CEO; heads the Entertainment Marketing Division |
| Leslee Dart | Founder; strategic advisor to Dolphin Entertainment |
| Allan Mayer | Principal 2006 to 2017; Dolphin director 2017 to 2020 |
| Bill O'Dowd | CEO of parent company Dolphin Entertainment |
Who owns 42West?
Dolphin Entertainment owns 42West and describes it as a subsidiary, together with The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects and The Digital Dept. Dolphin's 2017 annual report said the acquisition brought together premium marketing services with premium content production and gave 42West the ability to create promotional content for clients. Dolphin describes itself as an entertainment marketing and content production company, and Agility PR described 42West as a wholly owned Dolphin subsidiary. Wikipedia reports that Dolphin renamed itself in July 2017 and listed on Nasdaq on December 21, 2017, and that it bought Shore Fire Media in December 2019.
What does 42West do?
42West describes itself as one of the entertainment industry's leading full-service public relations firms, and its four divisions cover talent, strategic communications, entertainment marketing, and the gaming, consumer products and publishing practice of Fandoms & Franchises. Dolphin's 2017 annual report described services including public relations, entertainment content marketing and strategic marketing consulting for major film studios and independent and digital content providers. At CinemaCon 2026 it supported films from Cineverse, GKIDS, Miramax, Prime Focus Studios and Toho International.
How does 42West compare with other entertainment PR firms?
42West differs from independent peers in being part of a public company. Compare it with Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, PMK Entertainment and Rogers & Cowan, or see where it sits among all firms in the EPR PR firm rankings.
| Firm | Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 42West | Subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ: DLPN) | Dolphin |
| Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis | Partner-led | EPR profile |
| Rogers & Cowan | Part of Interpublic Group | EPR directory |
Related: PR agency profiles directory · PR firm rankings · Entertainment and media PR · Leslee Dart · Crisis PR · 5W, a PR, creative and GEO agency
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 42West?
42West is an entertainment publicity firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, owned by Dolphin Entertainment.
Who is the CEO of 42West?
Amanda Lundberg, per Dolphin's April and May 2026 releases.
Who owns 42West?
Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ: DLPN) owns 42West as a subsidiary.
What divisions does 42West have?
Talent, Strategic Communications, Entertainment Marketing, and Fandoms & Franchises.
When did Dolphin Entertainment acquire 42West?
Dolphin acquired 42West on March 30, 2017, in an all-stock deal valued at about $28 million, per Wikipedia's account of Dolphin Entertainment.
Who founded 42West?
Leslee Dart founded it in 2004 as The Dart Group. It became 42West in 2006 after Allan Mayer joined.
Is 42West still independent?
No. It has been a Dolphin Entertainment subsidiary since 2017, and before that Wikipedia describes it as the largest independently owned public relations firm in the entertainment industry.
Where is 42West based?
42West is headquartered in New York with an office in Los Angeles, per Dolphin's April 2026 release.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
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