Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball owns and operates the Minnesota Timberwolves professional basketball franchise, which joined the National Basketball Association as an expansion franchise in 1989. Playing host at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the Wolves have yet to claim an NBA Finals appearance. Local businessmen Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson were first awarded the franchise; Glen Taylor, chairman of printing giant Taylor Corporation, led a group of investors who bought the team in 1995.

Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (MPEL) is a developer, owner and, through its subsidiary Melco Crown Gaming, operator of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities focused on the Macau market. Melco Crown Gaming is one of the six companies licensed, through concessions or sub-concessions, to operate casinos in Macau. The Company owns and operates City of Dreams, Altira Macau, Mocha Clubs and Taipa Square Casino. Its other projects include City of Dreams Phase II, Macau Studio City Project and Macau Peninsula Site.

Hilton is near the top of the hill among hoteliers in Ireland and the UK, thanks to Hilton UK & Ireland. The business operates about 80 Hilton properties in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, more than 20 of which are located in London. Its hotels include the Hilton Croydon, the Hilton London Hyde Park, and the Hilton Dublin. Hilton UK & Ireland also manages restaurants (such as Minsky's Restaurant in the Hilton Glasgow, and the Galvin at Windows in the London Hilton) and bars (Henry J Beans in Edinburgh). Hilton UK & Ireland is a subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide.

Being marooned at one of this company's eateries might not be such a bad experience. Desert Island Restaurants is a leading regional dining company with a handful of restaurant concepts. Its holdings include five Ruth's Chris steakhouses located in Hawaii franchised from Ruth's Hospitality Group and an Asian-themed restaurant in Salt Lake City operating under the name Thaifoon - Taste of Asia. Desert Island also operates Ling & Louie's Asian Bar & Grill with locations in Denver and Scottsdale, Arizona. CEO Randy Schoch founded the company in 1998 and opened his Thaifoon restaurant in 2001.

Heart of America Management, which does business as Heart of America Restaurants & Inns, operates more than 15 casual-dining restaurants in five Midwestern states. Its flagship concepts include The Machine Shed, Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, and Thunder Bay Grille. The company also operates The Checkered Flag Bar and Grille and Gramma's Kitchen. In addition to its eateries, the company operates about a dozen hotels in Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City; Milwaukee; and St. Paul, Minnesota. Its lodging portfolio includes Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn, and Radisson branded locations. CEO Mike Whalen opened the first Machine Shed restaurant in 1978.

Toronto sports fans get a double dose of entertainment from this company. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) owns and operates two of that city's professional sports franchises, the Toronto Raptors basketball team and the storied Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, as well as Toronto's Air Canada Centre, where both teams play. In addition to the sports franchises, MLSE operates television channels dedicated to each team. Formed in 1998, the company is controlled by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which owns two-thirds of MLSE. Other shareholders include construction magnate and chairman Larry Tanenbaum (20%), and Toronto-Dominion Bank unit TD Capital.Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) owns the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, and the $265 million Air Canada Centre, as well as Leafs TV and Raptors NBA TV. MLSE, which brought the two professional sports teams under one new roof, has established a reputation as one of the best-run sports franchises in North America. Fans pack the arena paying the highest ticket prices in Canada.

PIER 39 offers visitors a kaleidoscope of attractions. Situated at Beach Street and The Embarcadero on San Francisco's waterfront, PIER 39 is one of the city's most popular leisure spots, featuring about 110 shops and a dozen full-service restaurants with views of the Bay. Home to such as the Aquarium of the Bay and the San Francisco Carousel, the complex attracts millions of visitors annually and is open year-round. In addition to humans, sea lions also frequent PIER 39. The creatures regularly occupy available dock space to take advantage of the plentiful herring supply. PIER 39 was founded in 1978, and is owned by Chicago-based developer Moor & South/PIER Management.

Manchester City Football Club is one of the oldest soccer teams in the UK Premier League. The club was founded in 1880 as St. Marks and changed its name to Ardwick before settling on Manchester City in 1894. Known to supporters as The Citizens, the team boasts two league championships and four FA Cups. Abu Dhabi United Group, an investment concern owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates, acquired the club in 2008 from Thaksin Shinawatra, formerly the prime minister of Thailand. Shinawatra had acquired control of Manchester City the previous year after being ousted from Thailand in a coup d'etat.

The Frank C. Erwin Center, or Erwin Center, is a sports and entertainment arena on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Housed in a round building (shaped like a drum), the arena is owned by the university and primarily serves as the home court for the school's men's and women's basketball teams. It also hosts concerts from artists such as Elton John and Jay-Z, as well as other entertainment shows, including Sesame Street Live and the Harlem Globetrotters. The Erwin Center first opened its doors in 1977 and cost $34 million. A three-year long, $55 million renovation and expansion was completed in 2005.

Atlanta National League Baseball Club owns and operates the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball franchise, which boasts three World Series championships, its last in 1995. A charter member of the National League, the team was formed as the Boston Red Stockings in 1871 (it became the Braves in 1912) and moved to Milwaukee in the 1950s before settling in Atlanta in 1966. Under the ownership of media mogul Ted Turner, the Braves won five pennants during the 1990s. The Braves play host at Turner Field. John Malone's Liberty Media has owned the team since 2007.

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