Sports Agencies Dominated by Five Giants

Now more than ever, sports agencies are engaged in a clash of the titans.

CAA towers over the others, with estimated contracts under management of $17.8 billion across roughly 2,900 clients, according to Forbes. Playing contracts comprise $14 billion of that sum, with the balance coming from sponsorships and other off-field athlete deals.

The agency’s commissions, which include contracts for Devin Booker, Sidney Crosby, Jack Grealish, and Trea Turner, are as high as $971 million.

• Wasserman, which represents around 2,000 athletes including Connor McDavid, Megan Rapinoe, and Klay Thompson, was second with $9.5 billion in contracts ($7.7 billion for playing contracts) and up to $733 million in commissions.
• Endeavor-owned WME Sports, whose roster of around 790 includes Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, and Luka Doncic, has around $6.4 billion in contracts ($3 billion for playing), and $588 million in maximum commissions.
• Excel Sports Management’s roughly 450 clients, including Tiger Woods, Nikola Jokic, and Paul Goldschmidt, will earn around $5.8 billion ($3.6 billion on the field), generating commissions that could reach $499 million.
• Octagon earns around $212 million in commissions on its clients’ $3.2 billion in contracts.

The $3 billion in total commissions of those five are more than double the total of the next 15 largest agencies.

Diamond King

MLB superagent Scott Boras’ $119 million in commissions are the most of any individual agent. 

His clientele include Bryce Harper ($330 million contract), Gerrit Cole ($324 million), and Max Scherzer ($130 million at a record annual value of $43.3 million).