Which are the biggest sports agencies in the world right now?

Which are the biggest sports agencies in the world right now?

Grace Waruguru
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:22 PM

Have you ever wonder which the best sports agency is? The biggest sports agencies have a broad client base that has earned them millions in revenue if not more. These companies play a significant role in athletes' careers, helping them navigate media, partnerships and legal matters.

Biggest sports agencies
Bryce Harper (Left) and his agent Scott Boras (Right) at a press conference at Spectrum Stadium on March 02, 2019, in Clearwater, Florida. Photo: Mike Ehrmann
Source: Getty Images

Sport agency companies have increased over the past few years. Their role is to manage their clients' reputations and partnerships. Sometimes, the agencies provide digital and marketing services to their clients. Here are the biggest sports agencies in the world right now.

Biggest sports agencies in the world

Sports agencies have been established around different sports, while others have taken up specific sports. Where is the best sports agency located? Companies located in different parts of the globe target athletes in all fields. Here are some of the best sports agencies:

1. Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Creative Artists Agency is one of the best sports agencies that deals with sports and other talents, including music and movie personalities, authors and designers. The company was founded in 1975 by Michael Ovitz, Rowland Perkins, Ronald Meyer, Bill Haber, and Michael S. Rosenfeld. The agency headquarter is in Beverly Hills, California.

Best sports agencies
Michael Ovitz, co-founder of the Creative Artists Agency, on July 10, 2018, in Sun Valley, Idaho. Photo: Drew Angerer
Source: Getty Images

How much is CAA worth? The details of the agency's financial worth are unknown. However, according to Forbes, in July 2022, the company had accumulated an estimated $971 million in commissions and $17.78 billion in contracts.

CAA boasts a portfolio of over 3,000 clients. Some of the sports personalities listed with the agency are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and basketballer Stephen Curry. The agency has approximately 2,000 employees.

Readers have asked, ''Which is the best sports agency in the USA?'' CAA has been ranked as the best agency because of the company's diversity in talent management. In addition, they have a massive client database with a high percentage in the sports industry.

2. Wasserman Media Group

Which is the best sports agency?
Cassey Wasserman, founder of Wasserman Media Group, during a press conference in Los Angeles on February 14, 2022. Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy
Source: Getty Images

Wasserman is one of the biggest sports agencies based in Los Angeles and deals with sports, music, and culture. Cassey Wasserman founded the company in 1988, and they represent players from over 45 sports. These services include:

  • Contract negotiations
  • Digital strategy
  • Public Relations
  • Event production
  • Creative content design and production

Some renowned sports personalities working under Wasserman Sports Agency include hockey players Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews and footballers like Fede Valverde of Real Madrid and John Stones of Manchester City.

In 2006, Wasserman Media Group acquired a football agency, SFX, which saw them increase their client base. In 2022, the company had commissions of $733 million and contracts worth $9,49 billion.

3. ICM Stellar Sports

Where is the best sports agency located
Tiger Woods (Left) with his agent Mark Steinberg (Right) at a practice session in Norton, Massachusetts, on August 29, 2013. Photo: Stan Badz
Source: Getty Images

ICM Stellar Sports operates under ICM Partners, which deals with creatives like broadcasters, artists and journalists. The company, headquartered in London, is undoubtedly the best sports agency in Europe, with more than 694 football players.

The parent company was founded in 1994, but the sports agency started its operations in 2020 and offers management strategies to clients in the NFL, Bundesliga, Athletics and the Premier League.

Johnathan Barnett owns ICM. Some of the notable deals by the firm are the $100m worth transfer of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid. The agency was also behind Jack Grealish's move from Aston Villa to Manchester City.

4. Excel Sports Management

Which is the best sports agency in the USA
Cristiano Ronaldo (Centre) and James Rodriguez (Left) with sports agent Jorge Mendes (Right) on January 22, 2015, in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Europa Press
Source: Getty Images

Excel was started in 2002 by Jeff Schwartz, who was NBA's most successful agent. The agency has its headquarters in New York and primarily works with basketball, baseball and golf players. However, they also have footballers and individual clients.

Excel seeks to help clients reach their fullest potential and has signed some big names like Tiger Woods, Nikola Jokic and baseballer George Springer. In 2022, the company raked in about $499 million in commissions and $5.75 billion in contracts.

Besides the headquarters, Excel has offices in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, and London. They also offer hospitality and brand marketing services.

5. GestiFute

Best sports agency in Europe
Jorge Mendes, founder of GestiFute, during a press conference at Shangri-La Hotel on January 18, 2016, in Shanghai, China. Photo: Visual China Group
Source: Getty Images

GestiFute is the force behind Cristiano Ronaldo's successful career. The agency was started in 1996 by Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's agent. He focuses primarily on football and has worked with players like Bernando Silva, Fabinho, and Diogo Costa.

According to Forbes, the agency has signed contracts amounting to over $1 billion. In 2020, the company made an estimated $104 million in commissions. One of GestiFute's most prominent investors is Ricardo Silva, who manages all international investments.

The agency aims to promote young football and is located in Porto, Portugal. They have over 135 clients cutting across various football leagues in Europe.

6. Octagon

Which is the best sports agency in Africa
Serena Williams (Left) and her agent Jill Smoller (Right) attend a match at Roland Garros stadium on June 2, 2017. Photo: Jean Catuffe
Source: Getty Images

Octagon was founded in 1982 by Phil de Picciotto and deals with sports, entertainment, and culture. The enterprise is one of the biggest sports agencies globally, with over 800 employees in 18 countries. Their headquarters are in Tyson, Virginia, USA.

Octagon has clients in almost all sports. Some of the clients signed by Octagon include basketballers Stephen Curry and Josh Giddey and NFL footballers Tristan Wirfs and Jakeem Grant. The agency has its biggest client base in the NBA. In 2018, the organization bagged the Best Talent Representation Award.

7. Athletes First

Athletes First is an NFL agency started in 2001 by Brian Murphy. The company is based in Southern California, with satellite offices in New York City, Gainesville, Florida, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta. The team comprises trained lawyers and negotiators who have sealed some of the biggest deals in NFL history.

Some of the renowned players under Athletes First are Aaron Rodgers, a 4-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) currently playing for the Green Bay Packers as a Quarterback. Others include Jalen Ramsey and Deshaun Watson.

8. Boras Corporation

Which is the best sports agency?
Boras Corporation founder Scott Boras, during a press conference on December 15, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: Billie Weiss
Source: Getty Images

Boras Corporation is a baseball agency with the largest percentage of its clients from the MLB (Major League Baseball). By July 2022, the organization had made $206 million in commissions and contracts worth $3.9 billion.

The agency has over 110 sports personalities to its name. Some renowned players signed by this agency are Bryce Harper and Gerrit Cole. The agency was founded by Scott Dean Boras and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.

Boras has negotiated some of the best deals in MLB, including Bryce Harper's $330 million contract with the Phillies and Corey Seager's $325 million deal with the Rangers. In 2022, Forbes listed Scott as the top most powerful sports agent.

9. WME Sports

Best sports agencies
Sports agent Scott Boras (Left) with Logan Davidson (Right) of the Oakland Athletics on June 17, 2019, in Oakland, California. Photo: Michael Zagaris
Source: Getty Images

WME Sports is a division of Endeavor Sports Management. Located in Beverly Hills, California, this agency has collected more than $588 million in commissions and $6.4 billion in contracts.

The company has clients in golf, football, basketball, and tennis. WME has represented renowned athletes like Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. In 2020, the firm also acquired a significant stake in Bill Duffy's BDA Sports Management.

10. Magic Sports Agency

Netizens have asked, ''Which is the best sports agency in Africa?'' There are numerous agencies in Africa supporting athletes in different sports. Magic Sports Agency was founded by George Dearnaley and Miles October, who are former football and baseball players, respectively.

Which is the best sports agency in the USA
Scott Boras (Right) with Kyler Murray (Left) of the Oakland Athletics on June 15, 2018, in Oakland, California. Photo: Michael Zagaris
Source: Getty Images

Some of the services the company offers include media management, brokering, and financial and legal advice. Their clients include Ceejay Bezuidenhout, Therlo Moosa, and Thalea Smidt.

The biggest sports agencies have helped some of the greatest athletes rise to the height of their careers. The diversity in partnerships and services offered will likely improve as the sports industry grows.

READ ALSO: Who is the most famous sportsperson in the world?

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Footballers Neymar and Lionel Messi are some of the most famous, and basketballers LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are also on the list. Follow the link above and see the comprehensive list.

Authors
Grace Waruguru photo
Grace Waruguru
Grace has over 4 years of experience in article writing and digital media content creation for various local and global brands. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication (Public Relations) from Daystar University, Kenya.