CAA Sports, a division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), has further solidified its leadership position in the global representation of sports talent with the acquisition of Base Soccer Agency.
Established in 1997 by Leon Angel, Base is a full-service football agency, representing and dealing with more than 300 international football players, coaches, and world-leading managers, both on and off the pitch, including Premier League stars Kyle Walker, Fred, Danny Rose, James Maddison, Davinson Sanchez, Aaron Lennon, Ashley Young, and Nathaniel and Trevoh Chalobah. Base is also a leading agency in women’s football and represents four players on England’s World Cup squad, including Fran Kirby and Georgia Stanway.
Led by Angel and player agent Frank Trimboli, Base has 60 employees headquartered in London, and is supported by consultant offices throughout Europe, South America, Australia, Asia, and North America. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Leon and Frank are world class agents and business executives, who, throughout the past two decades, have built Base into one of the foremost international football representation firms in the U.K.,” said Michael Levine, Co-Head, CAA Sports. “Frank, Leon, and their team work collaboratively, providing best-in-class service to their clients worldwide, and we are confident they will play an integral role in the continued global growth of CAA Sports.”
A dominant force across all areas of the global sports marketplace, CAA Sports agents and executives operate on five continents, and have orchestrated more than $33 billion in client revenue-generated transactions. CAA Sports leads all agencies in total on-field contract value under management, exceeding $9.3 billion.
Continuing its longstanding partnership with Polaris Sports, Gestifute’s commercial arm, CAA Sports jointly represents the marketing rights for many world class football players and coaches, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho, James Rodriguez, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix, Dele Alli, and Renato Sanches. The agency also represents such global sports talent as Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Shohei Ohtani, Dwyane Wade, Zion Williamson, and Carmelo Anthony.
“We are delighted to be joining forces with CAA Sports and we feel that, together, Base and CAA Sports will become an even more dominating force in football representation and trading,” said Angel. “Base’s reputation as a leading agency has been built on its ability to deliver the best deals for our clients whilst always maintaining trust and integrity. We feel that with the extra resources at our disposal we will be able to deliver more for our clients together with CAA Sports.”
Having initially forayed into sports through athlete representation, today, CAA Sports is a diversified sports enterprise with global operations encompassing 19 divisions, including property sales, brand consulting, licensing, and media rights. The agency’s CAA ICON group is the industry’s leading owner’s representative and project management firm, overseeing the development, design, and construction of major stadiums worldwide, including the O2 Arena, Staples Center, Mercedes Benz Shanghai Arena, and the new Chase Center, future home of the Golden State Warriors.
Replicating its U.S. success overseas, the agency has furthered its reach and resources across Europe through complementary acquisitions and the establishment of key offices.
CAA Sports’ award-winning Property Sales and Brand Consulting arms represent such renowned properties as Formula 1, Madison Square Garden, NCAA, City Football Group, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, Golden State Warriors, USGA, Top Rank Boxing, and Riot Games, in addition to 30+ global brands, including JPMorgan Chase, Bose, Mondelez, Google, Tissot, and Pizza Hut. In 2013, the agency formed the Geneva-based CAA 11, which represents the highly coveted broadcasting, sponsorship, and licensing rights to all UEFA National Team competitions and the Nation’s League.
CAA China, a world class entertainment and sports platform, formed in partnership with CAA and CMC in 2017, provides sports marketing, brand consulting, and athlete representation services to clients, focused on traditional sports, eSports, and crossover entertainment. The agency also works in the areas of broadcast rights, sponsorships, and IP. In August 2018, Momentum Sports, one of China’s leading sports representation companies, merged into CAA China, further enhancing the agency’s efforts in sports throughout Asia.
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For further information, please contact:
Beth McClinton, CAA, beth.mcclinton@caa.com
Nick Gower, CAA Sports International, nick.gower@caa.com
