Creative Artists Agency (CAA) are making a move to acquire ICM Partners. It is understood that the two companies have a definitive agreement in place that would see two of Hollywood’s top four talent agencies combining.
If the deal is finalised it will become the biggest agency merger since WME and private equity firm Silver Lake acquired IMG in 2013. The fee to buy IMG was believed to be around 2.5 billion dollars.
On announcing the agreement both CAA and ICM Partners stated that the acquisition ‘create deeper, broader, and more competitive opportunities for clients in the ever-evolving entertainment, media, and sports landscapes’.
This future deal would mean that CAA would significantly expand its portfolio of European Football clients. In 2020 CAA Sports acquired Base Soccer Agency, which represents around 300 international football players, coaches and managers globally. Later that year, ICM dived into the sports industry, purchasing another London-based super power football agency, Stellar Group. The company currently represents more than 800 athletes across different sports around the world.
No Financial terms of CAA’s acquisition of ICM Partners has been disclosed. The deal is expected to be finalised towards the end of 2021.