Creative Artists Agency

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A global entertainment, sports, media, and brand-representation agency.

Last updated November 4, 2026

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Overview

Creative Artists Agency, commonly known as CAA, is an American talent and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded in 1975 by Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, Bill Haber, Jeff Berg, and Rowland Perkins, the company became one of Hollywood’s most influential representation firms by combining traditional agent services with coordinated career strategy, project packaging, corporate marketing, and later sports and international businesses. CAA initially focused on film and television representation. Its early operating model emphasized teamwork, shared information, and collective client service rather than the highly individualized structures common among established agencies. The agency quickly gained attention for representing writers, directors, actors, and producers as interconnected creative partners. This helped it assemble project packages containing multiple essential elements—such as a screenplay, director, producer, and lead performers—and present them to studios and networks. Packaging strengthened CAA’s negotiating position and made the agency a significant participant in the development and financing of entertainment projects, not merely a broker of individual employment contracts. During the 1980s and 1990s, CAA expanded its roster and influence across film, television, music, theatre, and related media. Its clients included prominent actors, directors, producers, writers, and performers. Under Michael Ovitz, the agency also pursued corporate and international opportunities, including negotiations involving major Japanese conglomerates and Hollywood studios. CAA extended its capabilities into advertising and telecommunications, demonstrating an early interest in connecting entertainment expertise with broader commercial strategy. The company’s work for Coca-Cola in the early 1990s became a prominent example of this diversification. CAA was selected to develop and produce significant elements of Coca-Cola’s 1993 marketing campaign in partnership with McCann-Erickson. Rather than functioning only as a talent supplier, CAA contributed creative concepts and cross-media ideas, bringing Hollywood production and storytelling resources into a major consumer-brand campaign. CAA later formalized this area through CAA Marketing, established in 1998 to help brands use entertainment, talent, content, and cultural partnerships for promotion. CAA entered sports in a substantial way in 2006 under Richard Lovett’s leadership. CAA Sports developed representation and advisory capabilities for athletes, coaches, broadcasters, sports personalities, teams, leagues, and sports properties. Its work includes contract representation, endorsements, sponsorships, media-rights strategy, corporate marketing, and opportunities associated with sports venues and properties. The sports business became a central pillar of the company and helped distinguish CAA from agencies historically centered on Hollywood talent. Over time, CAA broadened its activities into digital media, publishing, live entertainment, fashion, trademark licensing, philanthropy, media finance, executive search, and consumer investing. It established CAA Ventures as a venture-investment platform and developed additional businesses intended to create commercial opportunities around clients, intellectual property, and brands. This broader model positioned CAA as a strategic partner for both individuals and corporations. Ownership changed significantly during the 2010s. TPG acquired a minority interest in 2010 and later became the controlling investor. The company continued to invest in sports and international expansion while developing a more diversified business portfolio. In 2021, CAA announced an agreement to acquire ICM Partners, one of Hollywood’s major competing agencies. The transaction closed in 2022 and brought additional film, television, publishing, and talent capabilities into CAA, including personnel and clients from ICM. In September 2023, Groupe Artémis, t…

History

CAA was established in 1975 in Los Angeles by Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, Bill Haber, Jeff Berg, and Rowland Perkins. The founders created a deliberately collaborative agency model in which agents worked as a collective rather than maintaining rigidly separated client lists and individual fiefdoms. The approach was intended to improve information sharing, client coverage, and negotiating leverage. The agency’s early success came from television and film representation. Within its first week, it reportedly sold several television projects, including Rhyme and Reason, the Rich Little Show, and The Jackson 5ive. CAA then used writer relationships to attract actors and other creative professionals. Its most consequential innovation was project packaging: agents assembled combinations of writers, directors, producers, and performers and presented those teams to studios and networks as ready-made projects. This enabled CAA to influence not only employment negotiations but also the formation and commercial positioning of entertainment productions. During the 1980s and early 1990s, CAA became a leading Hollywood agency. Michael Ovitz was associated with the agency’s expansion into large-scale dealmaking, including negotiations connecting Japanese conglomerates with Hollywood studios. The agency also moved beyond conventional representation into advertising and telecommunications. In 1992, Coca-Cola gave CAA a substantial role in developing and producing its following year’s marketing campaign alongside McCann-Erickson. The arrangement illustrated CAA’s ability to apply entertainment production and storytelling capabilities to corporate communications. CAA’s influence continued to grow in the 1990s. In 1993, it hosted then-President Bill Clinton for a speech concerning the relationship between entertainment and public life. In 1998, the agency created CAA Marketing, a dedicated business for brand promotion, entertainment partnerships, and marketing services. The division later worked on campaigns including Coca-Cola initiatives and Chipotle’s Back to the Start film, linking client talent, production, and brand purpose. A major strategic shift occurred in 2006, when CAA expanded decisively into sports under Richard Lovett. CAA Sports developed representation for athletes and coaches and added services involving endorsements, sponsorships, broadcast rights, sports properties, and corporate marketing. The sports division’s growth gave the company a second large-scale representation business and supported a broader global strategy. CAA subsequently diversified further into live entertainment, digital media, publishing, fashion, licensing, media finance, philanthropy, executive search, and investment activities. In 2010, TPG acquired a minority interest in CAA and committed capital for expansion and acquisitions. TPG later became the controlling investor in 2014. During this period, CAA pursued international growth and built businesses intended to monetize intellectual property and create new commercial opportunities for clients and corporate partners. CAA Ventures represented one effort to participate in emerging consumer and technology businesses. CAA announced its acquisition of ICM Partners in 2021. The deal required regulatory review and closed in 2022, bringing ICM personnel, clients, and publishing expertise into CAA. The combination reduced the number of major full-service Hollywood agencies and strengthened CAA’s ability to compete with Endeavor’s WME and United Talent Agency. In September 2023, Groupe Artémis completed its acquisition of a majority stake in CAA. Artémis is the investment company associated with François-Henri Pinault and his family. TPG ceased to be the majority owner, while Temasek remained a minority investor. Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett retained leadership roles as co-chairmen, with Lourd also becoming chief executive officer and Jim Burtson continuing as president. Under Artémis ownership, CAA remains a private, globally operating agency serving entertainment professionals, athletes, sports organizations, brands, and other cultural businesses.

2023
Artémis acquires majority stake
[4]Creative Artists Agency and Artémis announce majority shareholdingtpg.com
Groupe Artémis completes its purchase of a majority interest in CAA from TPG.
2022
ICM acquisition closes
[3]CAA to acquire ICM Partnerslatimes.com
The ICM transaction is completed and ICM personnel and activities are integrated into CAA.
2021
ICM acquisition announced
[3]CAA to acquire ICM Partnerslatimes.com
CAA announces an agreement to acquire ICM Partners.
2014
TPG becomes controlling investor
[1]Creative Artists Agencyen.wikipedia.org
TPG later takes a controlling stake, beginning a new phase of institutional ownership and diversification.
2010
TPG takes a minority stake
[1]Creative Artists Agencyen.wikipedia.org
TPG invests in CAA and provides capital intended to support acquisitions and international expansion.
2006
Expansion into sports
[1]Creative Artists Agencyen.wikipedia.org
CAA develops a substantial sports representation and advisory business under Richard Lovett’s leadership.
1998
CAA Marketing is established
[1]Creative Artists Agencyen.wikipedia.org
CAA creates a dedicated marketing business to connect brands with entertainment, talent, and promotional opportunities.
1992
Coca-Cola marketing partnership
[2]Creative Artists Joins Coca-Cola’s Ad Campaignlatimes.com
CAA receives a major creative and production role in Coca-Cola’s 1993 campaign, working with McCann-Erickson.
1975
CAA is founded
[1]Creative Artists Agencyen.wikipedia.org
Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, Bill Haber, Jeff Berg, and Rowland Perkins establish Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles.

Products and positioning

A collaborative, full-service representation and advisory platform for leading entertainment professionals, athletes, sports properties, brands, and cultural organizations.

Talent representation · 1975
CAA Entertainment
CAA represents professionals across film, television, music, theatre, digital content, publishing, video games, and related entertainment fields. Services include contract negotiation, career planning, project packaging, licensing, and introductions to studios, networks, platforms, publishers, brands, and investors.
Sports representation and advisory · 2006
CAA Sports
CAA Sports represents athletes, coaches, broadcasters, and sports personalities while advising teams, leagues, properties, and corporate partners. Its work covers contracts, endorsements, sponsorships, media rights, corporate marketing, social impact, and sports-property commercialization across multiple sports.
Brand marketing · 1998
CAA Marketing
CAA Marketing develops brand campaigns and entertainment partnerships using creative development, production, talent relationships, cultural strategy, and content. It was created to help corporate clients connect with audiences through entertainment-led communications and commercial collaborations.
Trademark licensing and brand management · 2022
CAA Brand Management
CAA Brand Management develops and executes brand-extension, licensing, and consumer-product programs for corporate and intellectual-property owners. The business includes the former CAA-GBG operation, which CAA integrated after acquiring Global Brands Group’s majority interest in the joint venture.
Venture investment · 2014
CAA Ventures
CAA Ventures was established as a venture-capital and consumer-investment platform. It supported selected technology and consumer businesses, including the Whisper app, and reflected CAA’s effort to participate in businesses connected to changing media and consumer behavior.

Marketing campaigns

2013Chipotle Back to the Start
United States
CAA Marketing developed the animated Back to the Start film for Chipotle, using storytelling and music to communicate the restaurant chain’s sustainability and sourcing message.
Outcome. The campaign became a widely recognized example of purpose-oriented branded entertainment associated with CAA Marketing.
Source
1992Coca-Cola 1993 integrated marketing campaign
United States · International
CAA developed creative concepts and produced advertising for Coca-Cola Classic’s 1993 campaign in partnership with McCann-Erickson. The collaboration gave an entertainment agency an unusually broad role in a major consumer-marketing program.
Outcome. The partnership became a notable example of Hollywood creative and production capabilities being applied to mainstream brand advertising.
Source

Brand decisions

2023
Transfer majority ownership to ArtémisM&A
Background
TPG had been CAA’s controlling investor, while Artémis sought to add a major entertainment and sports platform to its investment portfolio.
Action taken
Groupe Artémis completed the purchase of a majority stake in CAA, with Temasek retaining a minority position.
Aftermath
CAA’s senior leadership remained in place, with Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett continuing as co-chairmen.
Source
2021
Acquire ICM PartnersM&A
Background
The acquisition was intended to increase CAA’s scale and strengthen its position against Endeavor’s WME and United Talent Agency in a consolidating agency market.
Action taken
CAA announced an agreement to acquire ICM Partners, subject to regulatory approval.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in 2022 and brought ICM staff, agents, clients, and publishing capabilities into CAA.
Source
2006
Build a major sports businessStrategy
Background
CAA had historically been identified primarily with film and television representation, while sports offered a substantial adjacent market for representation, sponsorship, and commercial advisory work.
Action taken
The agency expanded into sports representation and related advisory services under Richard Lovett’s leadership.
Aftermath
CAA Sports became a central business serving athletes, coaches, broadcasters, sports properties, and corporate partners.
Source

Recent events

2020-06-25
NEA and CAA launch Connect Ventures[6]NEA与CAA推出Connect Venturestechcrunch.com
Reported: 2020-06-25
New Enterprise Associates launched Connect Ventures, a new investment initiative in partnership with Creative Artists Agency, to identify and accelerate the growth of early-stage, consumer-focused businesses formed in the wake of the global pandemic.
2020-03-02
fit52 fitness app launches on iOS[7]fit52 健身应用在 iOS 上推出buckeyecountry1037.iheart.com
Carrie Underwood announced the launch of the fit52 fitness app, which was available for download on iOS. The app was developed in partnership with Creative Labs and Creative Artists Agency.

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