AEG Presents once offered roughly $18.9 million to either buy out Danny Wimmer Presents' half of Rock on the Range and Carolina Rebellion or sell its own half to DWP. DWP said no, and the eight-year legal war that followed is now sprinting toward a February 2027 jury trial.

A burst of court filings in Los Angeles Superior Court over the past month has pulled the case back into view. The papers include deposition transcripts and internal AEG emails, some of which AEG had tried to shield as privileged. They reveal the price AEG put on the festivals, profane exchanges between executives, and AEG's 2018 plan to launch a competing rock festival in Columbus on Rock on the Range's weekend.

The lawsuit, AEG Presents Productions v. Danny Wimmer Presents, was filed Nov. 29, 2018, after DWP replaced the two co-promoted festivals with its own Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio, and Epicenter in North Carolina. AEG says the companies were partners and DWP walked off with partnership assets. DWP says the deals were one-year co-promotions and AEG owned nothing once each festival ended.

On Aug. 20, 2018, Melissa Ormond, then AEG's chief operating officer of festivals, sent DWP a buy-sell offer. AEG would buy DWP's 50% stake in Rock on the Range and Carolina Rebellion, or sell its own 50% to DWP, at the same price.

According to figures AEG attorney Kathy Jorrie read into the record at Danny Wimmer's Aug. 28 deposition, the offer totaled $18,895,000. That included a $15,895,000 base plus extra money tied to an improved venue deal in Columbus. Wimmer confirmed he knew the $18.9 million figure at the time. DWP's lawyer objected that the offer mischaracterized AEG's calculations.

The offer also carried a five-year non-compete. The seller could not promote any event with three or more metal or hard-rock bands within 250 miles of either festival.

"AEG Presents has no comment other than we disagree with DWP's positions," a statement from AEG to Decibel reads.