Sports talent and marketing firm
16W Marketing has expanded its roster of sports broadcasters, quietly signing in the last year baseball analyst
Ron Darling and play-by-play announcer
Thom Brennaman.
Darling and Brennaman will be represented by 16W partners and founders Steve Rosner and Frank Vuono.
16W also represents Cris Collinsworth, Boomer Esiason, Howie Long, Cal Ripken Jr., Phil Simms, Brian Griese, Bob Papa and Beasley Reece.
Rosner said 16W is interested in signing broadcasters with a national profile who also appeal to corporations as spokespeople and endorsers. “Our philosophy is quality over quantity,” Rosner said. “We say, ‘No’ a lot more than we say, ‘Yes.’”
Darling, a former All-Star pitcher and Golden Glove Award winner, is a color commentator for national baseball coverage on TBS along with working as a New York Mets analyst for SportsNet New York and WPIX-TV in New York.
Brennaman has worked at Fox for 19 years doing play-by-play for baseball and football. He is also the voice of the Cincinnati Reds, following his father, hall of fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman.
“When both Ron and Thom reached out to us for representation, they were both in multiyear contracts,” Rosner said.
Darling was formerly represented by Wasserman Media Group. Brennaman had no formal representation.
Asked why they needed representation when they were in multiyear deals, Rosner said, “You have to manage someone’s career on a day-to-day basis, from an endorsement and an ongoing representation basis. I think both of these guys felt, after speaking to both of them, that what they liked about us is not only the roster of clients that we have, but we are constantly in the mix with all the networks and discussing talent with senior management at each network.”
> TLA SIGNS WEBBER: The Legacy Agency has signed former NBA All-Star forward and current Turner Sports analyst Chris Webber and will work to oversee and develop his media and marketing portfolio.
TLA agents and principals Peter Raskin and Russ Spielman will serve as the lead agents for Webber. He was formerly represented by CAA Sports.
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CAA will represent Laila Ali in all areas, including TV, endorsements and speaking.
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Raskin noted Webber’s diverse background in stating, “Aside from an incredible NBA career, he is an accomplished analyst, businessman, music and film producer, and humanitarian.”
Additionally, TLA, which represents about 60 MLB players for contract work, recently signed Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Hector Noesi and Mariners shortstop Carlos Triunfel.
> CAA SIGNS LAILA ALI: Creative Artists Agency has signed former boxer Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali, for representation in all areas, including television, endorsements, speaking and digital. She will be represented by a team of agents, led by television agent Adam Nettler.
Ali was previously unrepresented. At one time she had been represented by Premier Sports & Entertainment and by agent Harlan Werner.
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Scutaro, who played a key role in the Giants’ World Series run, is a free agent.
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> PRAVER SHAPIRO SIGNS SCUTARO: MLB player representation firm
Praver Shapiro Sports Management has signed free agent infielder
Marco Scutaro for contract work. Scutaro is coming off a standout postseason with San Francisco in which he was named MVP of the National League Championship Series and played a key role in the Giants’ World Series run.
Agent Barry Praver will represent Scutaro. He was formerly represented by brothers and agents Peter and Edward Greenberg, who recently joined TLA.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
