Wasserman Media Group In Talks To Acquire Athletes First

Wasserman Media Group (WMG) "has been in talks to acquire" player representation firm Athletes First, according to sources cited by Liz Mullen of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. It is "not clear whether a deal will come together," and sources last week said that a deal "was not imminent." If WMG were to buy Athletes First, it could end talk that WMG Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman "would be involved in team ownership should the NFL return" to L.A. WMG "represents more than 500 athletes worldwide," while Athletes First "represents about 90 NFL players," including Bengals QB CARSON PALMER, Packers QB AARON RODGERS, Jets QB MARK SANCHEZ and Chiefs QB MATT CASSEL (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/12 issue).