CAA Goes Sporty

CAA is quietly becoming a power player in yet another field: Sports.

The talent agency began representing Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter last year when it hired sports agents Tom Condon, Ken Kremer and Casey Close.

The profile of the sports division was raised another notch when soccer star David Beckham, a CAA client, recently decided to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Now the company is poised to represent basketball stars LeBron James and Allen Iverson once it finalizes acquiring the sports representation business of Leon Rose, according to the Wall Street Journal.

CAA negotiated a deal between Beckham and the Philip Anschutz-owned Galaxy, where Beckham will receive $10 million a year plus endorsements and profit-sharing agreements, the paper said. The soccer star could earn as much as $250 million over the five-year term.

The Gersh Agency and William Morris Agency represent sports figures, but CAA’s roster has the most muscle, the WSJ said.