Talent Agencies Endeavor & WMA Merge
William Morris Agency and Endeavor have decided to become one. This merger will turn the now united talent agencies into the biggest since CAA.
Leading WME Entertainment will be WMA chief exec Jim Wiatt as chairman, while Endeavor toppers Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell and WMA prexy Dave Wirtschafter will serve as co-CEOs.
The board of WMA and partners of Endeavor held separate votes on Monday to greenlight the merger. The news was confirmed by WMA and Endeavor in a brief press release. Insiders said the 27 Endeavor partners voted unanimously in favor of the deal. The vote among the 20 WMA board members was said to be 19 to 1.
Deal is expected to close within a few weeks, though it still requires approval from labor officials in California and New York, and it may face an antitrust review by the Justice Dept.
