Throughout the late 2010s, Wasserman has grown into a leading agency across the global hockey scene.
Since being founded in 1998, the sports marketing and talent management organization has taken numerous sporting sectors by storm. Although their continually-evolving status in hockey has enhanced their reputation, their previous offerings have sought to revolutionize consumer engagement within Formula One and golf, for example. However, Wasserman’s expansion into hockey has seen the agency broaden their horizons regarding talent representation. So, let’s take a look at the 22-year-old company’s European venture.
The US-Based Agency is Expanding into Europe
Aside from seeking to implement off-field change through their marketing techniques, Wasserman are renowned for their signed talent pool. Regarding top-flight sports, the agency has previously had significant involvement in the National Basketball Association, possessing a sizable roster for representation, according to Sports Business Journal.
Interestingly, their European move is a signal of intent to increase their sporting involvement and broaden their hockey-based talent recruitment. The expansion comes as a result of acquiring Acme World Sports, who, as per Forbes, possess one of the globe’s biggest National Hockey League player contract agencies. In turn, this puts Wasserman in the picture for being the sport’s largest recruitment group.
The acquisition – which came about in June 2020 – will enable Wasserman to expand its headquarters into various European cities, including Helsinki and Zurich. Following this move, the 22-year-old sports marketing organization will also take on the role of managing Acme World Sports’ previous stars, such as Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, as well as Esa Lindell. The Finnish defenceman is part of the Dallas Stars team, who are 8/5 with odds on hockey from William Hill to defeat Tampa Bay Lightning in their Series Matchup, as of September 23rd.
Becoming a Leading Agency in Professional Hockey
From a company standpoint, their continual expansion in hockey stems back to 2018. According to a report by The Business Journals, Wasserman first branched out into the ice-oriented sport upon purchasing an equity stake in Orr Hockey Group. Although the precise details of the transaction were not disclosed, the purchase played a role in boosting Wasserman’s status as a leading sports agency.
As per a study by Forbes into the world’s most valuable agencies, Wasserman moved up to number two, with $3.7 billion in contracts. The US-based company were only behind Los Angeles’ Creative Artists Agency, which registered $9.3 million in contracts.
Perhaps one of the main reasons behind the company’s enhanced global reputation surrounds its long-standing business relationships. Fundamentally, Wasserman have long had an affiliation with Samsung, who continues to develop their sporting role. For example, back in 2015, the multinational conglomerate utilized Sportsradar’s data across 48 different sports. This came following the Swiss-based company’s $44-million funding.
Building a Comprehensive Talent Pool
Upon making a name for themselves across the NBA and MLB, the organization built a foundation on which to broaden their sporting horizons. Since doing so in 2018, their status in the NHL has gone from strength to strength. Should their European expansion prove fruitful, then the 22-year-old marketing and talent recruitment organization may be on course to become the most valuable agency in the coming years.