Wasserman signs Brillstein Entertainment Partners

The Future. Sports and music agency Wasserman is adding film and TV to its repertoire, thanks to the acquisition of Brillstein Entertainment Partners. With several other management companies also looking for buyers and strategic partners, the management company may be low-key undergoing the same scale-up as the agency world — with far less oversight — to balance the power between creatives and the studios that hire them.

Grandpa’s footsteps
Wasserman’s acquisition of Brillstein is a microcosm of the consolidation happening all across the Hollywood talent management ecosystem.

• First, the deal: the acquisition of the storied management company (clients like Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler, and Scott Derrickson) won’t lead to any layoffs, and personnel won’t have to move offices.
• But, for Brillstein, it gives the firm scale and resources to grow into a future-focused shingle — one where managers help stars gain a foothold in a variety of mediums and routinely become entrepreneurs.
• And for Wasserman, it gives the company an entrance into Hollywood, especially its production division, which CEO Casey Wasserman notes has become a vital addition to his work with athletes, musicians, and brands.

Brillstein’s wrap-up is another high-profile move in the management space, such as the link-ups of Range Media Partners and Automatik and Lionsgate and 3Arts. It’s all about the collaboration between talent and production — the very thing agencies like CAA, WME, and UTA were barred from doing during the WGA’s recent campaign. 

But, in the meantime, Casey Wasserman gets his chance at becoming a Hollywood mogul like his grandfather, the legendary Lew Wasserman… before he, too, had to choose between being a seller and a buyer.