Wasserman Creates Field-to-Booth Pipeline with Montag Group Pick-up
The sports talent agency Wasserman on Wednesday announced it has acquired The Montag Group, which boasts a client roster that includes the likes of CBS’ Jim Nantz, NBC’s Mike Tirico, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, Fox’s Jay Glazer and TNT’s Kenny Smith.
Per the terms of the deal, The Montag Group firm will continue to operate under its original banner, which was launched in 2014. Founder Sandy Montag, who began his career as a traveling assistant to the late John Madden, a role he held for a year before becoming the broadcaster’s agent, will join Wasserman, along with exec VP Maury Gostfrand and more than 20 staffers.
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Financials were not disclosed. The Montag Group will continue to operate from its twin bases in White Plains and Manhattan, while Los Angeles has been the center of Wasserman’s operations since its founding in 1998.
“The Montag Group is the preeminent media agency in the industry, with extensive experience and influence across all aspects of the business,” Wasserman Chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman said in a statement issued this morning. “Sandy, Maury and the entire Montag Group are the perfect complement to leverage our existing sports, music, brands and properties business units to the mutual benefit of our respective clients.”
Because Wasserman represents hundreds of athletes—among the stars of the agency’s multi-billion-dollar lineup are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook, the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton and the Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart—the Montag merger should go a long way toward providing a seamless transition for stars who may be looking to move onto a broadcasting career after they hang up their cleats, like NFL Hall of Famer and Montag Group client LaDainian Tomlinson.
The demand for top-tier broadcasting talent will only increase as legacy broadcasters continue to expand their direct-to-consumer programming and tech giants like Amazon begin making serious inroads into the presentation of live sports.
The acquisition does not include Steve Herz’s IF Management, which was brought into the Montag fold in 2017. Herz, who currently serves as president of The Montag Group, will relaunch IF Management as a standalone company, one which will maintain a strategic partnership with Wasserman.
“Maury and I have long-respected Casey and Wasserman for how they approach the business and represent their clients,” Montag said. “This deal will allow us to maintain the excellence and service our clients have come to expect from The Montag Group, while also tapping into Wasserman’s resources, network, and influence across the industry to further benefit those whom we represent.”
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