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- Deadline for expressions of interest set for 20th April
- The Team estimated to earn US$956m in maximum commissions as of 2025
Multiple parties are interested in acquiring The Team, the talent agency formerly known as Wasserman.
According to The New York Times, United Talent Agency (UTA), private equity firm Permira and Patrick Whitesell, the former chairman of Endeavor, is among those to have indicated interest in buying the business.
A consortium that consists of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Chris Giliberti, the chief executive of software firm Avail, is also said to be in the running.
Interested parties have until 20th April to submit formal expression of interest and can bid for either the 40 per cent stake owned by founder Casey Wasserman, the entire agency, or anything in between.
The company was put up for sale by Wasserman earlier this year after his emails to Ghislaine Maxwell were made public as part of the release of files related to the US government’s investigation into condemned financier Jeffrey Epstein. It was then rebranded as ‘The Team’ last month to help separate the business from its founder.
The remaining 60 per cent of the enterprise is owned by private equity firm Providence Equity Partners. According to the New York Times, it earns about US$200 million a year.
The Team represents several high-profile stars across sports and entertainment, with the likes of Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) ace Breanna Stewart, ice hockey titan Connor McDavid and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde on its roster.
According to Forbes, it represented a total of 4,360 clients as of July 2025, with the total value of playing contracts under management estimated to be worth US$9.52 billion. The agency was also estimated to earn a total of US$956 million in maximum commissions, which ranked it as the second most valuable sports agency.
However, it has seen several clients depart in the wake of Wasserman’s indiscretions, with former US women’s soccer star Abby Wambach and pop star Chappell Roan among those to have cut ties with the business up to now.
Meanwhile, Wasserman continues in his role as chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with the chief executive of the local organising committee last month insisting sponsors had not voiced any concerns.
The embattled mogul has already faced calls from Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass to step down, while the chair of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said last week that it had shared its concerns with LA28’s organising committee, and that it was “closely monitoring the impact on our community”.
Wasserman is reported by the New York Times to have a say in the deal negotiations for the agency’s sale, which is expected to net a huge fee.
The Team’s work across both talent representation and consultancy represents an opportunity to invest in the sports industry at a time of significant expansion, both in terms of athlete earnings and commercial activity.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was valued at a reported US$7 billion when Francois-Henri Pinault acquired a majority stake in the business in 2023, while Excel Sports Management was bought by Goldman Sachs for US$1 billion last year.
The interest in The Team and other agencies reflects their value as a way for private equity to tap into rising industry revenues beyond direct investments. The number of opportunities is also declining as smaller agencies are absorbed into larger entities like WME, CAA and UTA.
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