The emergence of William Morris Endeavor “as a superpower to challenge the hegemony of CAA has altered the talent representation playing field for everyone,” according to Cynthia Littleton of VARIETY. The biggest change among agencies is the "growing complexity of these companies as businesses.” NFL Draft Day at CAA is “almost as big a deal as Oscar nominations day, given the agency’s aggressive charge into sports.” Agents now are “challenged to juggle the options and serve more as entrepreneurial coaches for those clients with the talent and the ambition to spread their wings.” Actress Alyssa Milano is a “sports fan, so CAA set her up with a line of femme-styled jerseys and other apparel, dubbed Touch, sold largely in stadiums.” Private equity firm TPG’s money has “helped CAA expand its international footprint and its sports operations.” CAA Sports debuted in ‘06 and now “reps more than 800 athletes, coaches and personalities." Its recent partnership with Roc Nation Sports brought Yankees 2B Robinson Cano “into the fold.” CAA also “handles megabucks deals for team and venue sponsorship pacts as well as media rights agreements for leagues in the U.S. and abroad.” These are “typically fee-and-retainer-based deals rather than 10% commissions, but enough of those will go a long way to offsetting the shrinkage in movie-star paychecks” (VARIETY.com, 5/8).
