The Nederlander family of companies, all owned or controlled by various members of the Nederlander family, have been involved in the live entertainment business for nearly 100 years. David T. Nederlander founded the business in 1912 with the purchase of the old Detroit Opera House. Since then, through three generations, the Nederlanders have expanded into all facets of live entertainment, including live theatre, stadiums and amphitheaters, and sports, including an interest in the New York Yankees.

Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, LLC ("Nederlander Worldwide")—founded and managed by Robert Nederlander, Jr., a member of the third generation of the Nederlander entertainment family—has been involved a variety of live entertainment projects, such as the expansion of Nederlander operations into China, the development of an Off Broadway theatre circuit, and various theatrical production projects.

Nederlander Worldwide, through its China affiliate, Nederlander New Century, was the first performance and theater management joint venture to be approved by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to operate under its new regulations. Nederlander New Century is a theatrical management and presenting company that has established a circuit of first-tier legitimate theatres in major cities throughout China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and other major Chinese markets for the purpose of presenting a series of world-renowned Broadway musicals. Nederlander New Century's first production is the Tony Award-winning 42nd Street in September 2007.

In the U.S., Nederlander Worldwide is developing a circuit of regional Off Broadway theaters for the purpose of presenting the very best in Off Broadway productions. The first markets in the network include the Post Street and Marines Memorial theatres in San Francisco, the Bethesda Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Proscenium Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.

Affiliates of Nederlander Worldwide have also been involved in the ownership and/or operations of Broadway theatres in San Francisco (the Curran, Golden Gate, and Orpheum), Detroit (Fisher, Detroit Opera House, and Masonic Temple) and Chicago (Cadillac Palace Theatre, LaSalle Bank Theatre, Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, and Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University).

Nederlander Worldwide is the producer of many theatrical presentations, including tap dance master Savion Glover's international tour Improvography, as well as a series of Broadway-style shows aboard Europe's Celebrity Cruises Constellation.