WEBVTT - Strictly Business Live From Cannes Lions with UTA CEO David Kramer 

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<v Speaker 1>Hello again, Strictly Business listeners. I'm Cynthia Littleton, co editor

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<v Speaker 1>in chief of Variety and host of this podcast. I

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<v Speaker 1>told you in my last episode that we were incredibly

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<v Speaker 1>busy at the can Lyon Festival of Creativity earlier this month.

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<v Speaker 1>We had so many deep conversations about the future of

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<v Speaker 1>media and entertainment. So here is a bonus Strictly Business

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<v Speaker 1>Live from can Lyon episode featuring newly appointed UTA CEO

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<v Speaker 1>David Kramer. We recorded this in a conference room in

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<v Speaker 1>the enormous two story installation that UTA and its Media

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<v Speaker 1>Link Advertising Consulting arm erect every year on the beach

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<v Speaker 1>for can Lyon. The hugeness of the place makes it

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<v Speaker 1>a buzzy hub of activity and a natural meeting spot.

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<v Speaker 1>Kramer is new to the top job, but he's been

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<v Speaker 1>with UTA for more than thirty years. He's a proverbial

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<v Speaker 1>mailroom success story. In our conversation, Kramer shares his perspective

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<v Speaker 1>on how the ten percentary business is changing, and he

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<v Speaker 1>talks about what all the activity at can Lion means

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<v Speaker 1>for the talent that UTA represents. That's all coming up

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<v Speaker 1>after this break, and we're back with a conversation with

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<v Speaker 1>UTA CEO David Kramer. David Kramer, CEO of UTA, thank

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<v Speaker 1>you so much for having me here. We are literally

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<v Speaker 1>on the beach in can at can Lion and UTA

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<v Speaker 1>and Media Link have the two story installation erected here

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<v Speaker 1>on the beach to all to facilitate conversations about marketing

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<v Speaker 1>and advertising big businesses.

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<v Speaker 2>That you all are invested in. I know you have

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<v Speaker 2>us army here of about one hundred and twenty people.

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<v Speaker 2>What is the focus for you this year at Canline.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you so much for being here and having me.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, what we have realized over the past several

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<v Speaker 4>years that we got into the brand business when we

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<v Speaker 4>started our entertainment, culture and marketing team and then with

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<v Speaker 4>the acquisition of Media Link back in twenty twenty one,

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<v Speaker 4>is that the brands want to get closer to all

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<v Speaker 4>the different various parts of the business clients that we

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<v Speaker 4>that we represent, that we touch and whether that's film

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<v Speaker 4>and television, whether that's comedy, music creators, athletes, musicians, et cetera.

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<v Speaker 4>The brands want to get closer to all those things

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<v Speaker 4>that we have built out over the past thirty years

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<v Speaker 4>of being an agency, and so we've made a big

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<v Speaker 4>investment in being the bridge between brands that we represent

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<v Speaker 4>and don't represent, and of course all the different clients

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<v Speaker 4>and the different business lines that we have on our platform.

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<v Speaker 2>It's kind of I mean, it's just canline brings together

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<v Speaker 2>people that cross so many different roads these days, from

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<v Speaker 2>social media creators to brand deals. We all know how

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<v Speaker 2>important that is to that space and social media creators.

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<v Speaker 2>Everybody here is talking about social media creators and AI

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<v Speaker 2>and I know the creators representing that kind of new

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<v Speaker 2>breed of auteur has been a real focus for you.

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<v Speaker 2>Are there like significant conversations happening here this week that

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<v Speaker 2>will impact clients down the road.

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<v Speaker 4>Absolutely. You know, we invested in starting the creator space.

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<v Speaker 4>We don't even call it creator space. We called it

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<v Speaker 4>the digital space eighteen nineteen years ago when we started

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<v Speaker 4>our division.

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<v Speaker 3>And then on top of that.

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<v Speaker 4>We were the first agency to start an audio space,

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<v Speaker 4>the podcast space. And so what we've seen at cam

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<v Speaker 4>Lyon in general is the makeup of who is here,

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<v Speaker 4>not just the many brands that are here, but the

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<v Speaker 4>kinds of people clients that we work with, and whether

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<v Speaker 4>it be creators, whether it be athletes, whether it be musicians.

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<v Speaker 4>We have fifteen different musical acts here performing this week.

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<v Speaker 4>So the brands wanting to get closer into to all

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<v Speaker 4>those different people we've seen only grow exponentially over the

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<v Speaker 4>past several years. They really want to get close to

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<v Speaker 4>those creators who have such a direct relationship to their audience,

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<v Speaker 4>to their consumers, if you will. And so we have

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<v Speaker 4>a number of our biggest creators here in town meeting

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<v Speaker 4>with all these different brands. Some they already have partnerships

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<v Speaker 4>with and some who we will create new relationships with.

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<v Speaker 2>It's being here, it's just it's such an expression of

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<v Speaker 2>the power of brands and marketing and advertising. And it's

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<v Speaker 2>not just entertainment, which is what gives it such scale.

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<v Speaker 2>Is it's sports. It's you know, the biggest corporate bands,

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<v Speaker 2>brands showing up in a big way, and there are

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of perks and a lot of great performances.

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<v Speaker 2>Congratulations are in order. You were recently promoted to CEO,

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<v Speaker 2>but you are certainly no stranger to Enterprise, having rose

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<v Speaker 2>through the ranks since nineteen ninety two. Media Link the

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<v Speaker 2>advertising business that you t acquired a couple of years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>How has Media Link in the activity that you're involved with?

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<v Speaker 2>Media Link. How has that changed the complexion for UTA

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<v Speaker 2>or opened up opportunities for UTA clients.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, the thesis behind the acquisition of media Liink holds

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<v Speaker 3>true today than even when we thought about it back in.

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<v Speaker 2>Those many years ago, four years.

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<v Speaker 4>Ago, Yes, exactly, And as we see the brands wanting

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<v Speaker 4>to get closer, getting more support from a company like

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<v Speaker 4>media Link that specializes in brand advisory work, brand consulting work,

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<v Speaker 4>media reviews, relationship building, et cetera. That coupled with the

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<v Speaker 4>marketing division that we already had in our ECM team

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<v Speaker 4>and being able to utilize the rest of the platform

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<v Speaker 4>in terms of all the different businesses that were in

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<v Speaker 4>the different people we represent.

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<v Speaker 2>What you were just saying, everybody wants to get closer

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<v Speaker 2>to the.

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<v Speaker 4>Talent exactly, That's exactly right. And so having Media Link,

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<v Speaker 4>having our ECM team come together as brand representatives, brand

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<v Speaker 4>liaisons and then marry that with the rest of the

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<v Speaker 4>UTA platform, we couldn't be more excited about our brand

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<v Speaker 4>advisory work, which which is growing and you see it

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<v Speaker 4>when you walk around here, you know, just on the

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<v Speaker 4>first day of can Lion, to see the integration between

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<v Speaker 4>our teams, the integration between our clients and those those

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<v Speaker 4>brands that are scattered across Media Link Beach.

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<v Speaker 2>Today it's I mean, you can hear listeners, the noise

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<v Speaker 2>behind us, that this place is humming with activity. And

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<v Speaker 2>as you walk around, the media Link offers space for

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<v Speaker 2>some of the brands you represent, seeing you know, seeing

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<v Speaker 2>grocery store brands and that that to me really strikes me,

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<v Speaker 2>is that that is a real big expansion of your business. David,

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<v Speaker 2>you came up the ranks through the literary department through

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<v Speaker 2>motion pictures, yes, writers and directors. Now that you are

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<v Speaker 2>CEO of the whole enterprise, what would you say your

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<v Speaker 2>background coming up through the mail room and now up

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<v Speaker 2>through the literary business, working with writers and directors, how

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<v Speaker 2>did that prepare you for the role you have now? Well?

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<v Speaker 4>I think when I started at ut in nineteen ninety two,

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<v Speaker 4>the company was only one year, one years old. We

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<v Speaker 4>had about eighteen agents, fifty total employees. I met everybody.

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<v Speaker 4>I met everyone at the company by the end of

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<v Speaker 4>the first week. It's very different today. As I like

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<v Speaker 4>to say, we did three things back then, we do

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<v Speaker 4>fifty three things now. We represented writers and directors and

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<v Speaker 4>actors from movies intelligence. That's really the extent of it. However,

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<v Speaker 4>because we were a new company and we were a

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<v Speaker 4>small company, we had to be in the discovery business.

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<v Speaker 4>We had to be in the development business, We had

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<v Speaker 4>to be in the collaboration business with one another other

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<v Speaker 4>to compete with other agencies at that time. As we've

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<v Speaker 4>diversified the business, the great thing is that discovery, that development,

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<v Speaker 4>that collaboration, that client centric approach has been imbued across

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<v Speaker 4>the DNA of all the different areas that we've either

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<v Speaker 4>built out ourselves or the businesses we've acquired, and making

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<v Speaker 4>sure that that philosophy holds to this day as we

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<v Speaker 4>whether we've moved into music, comedy, touring, orts has been

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<v Speaker 4>a big one, Clutch sports has been a big one

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<v Speaker 4>for sure. And so what's what's I think what's exciting

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<v Speaker 4>about what we're doing today is that it is so

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<v Speaker 4>vastly different from from where we started, but so many

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<v Speaker 4>of the tenants that made UTA uta hold true. And

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<v Speaker 4>I'm but I think that the playground has expanded in

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<v Speaker 4>so many different ways. That allows our people who work

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<v Speaker 4>at UTA to try different things, be challenged in a

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<v Speaker 4>different way, be ready for these crazy shifts we've seen

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<v Speaker 4>in our business, and more importantly, allows our clients, who

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<v Speaker 4>are more ambitious and more excited about trying different things

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<v Speaker 4>than ever before, to work with a group of agents

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<v Speaker 4>who who are excited by all those opportunities and ambitions

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<v Speaker 4>as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more from

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<v Speaker 1>UTA CEO David Kramer, And we're back with more from

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<v Speaker 1>our conversation with UTA chief David Kramer.

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<v Speaker 2>Another new thing for UTA, for the agency in the

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<v Speaker 2>last decade or so has been the arrival of new investors,

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<v Speaker 2>some private equity, some people taking strategic stakes. How would

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<v Speaker 2>you say you've navigated that and what would you say

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<v Speaker 2>has been the impact that you've seen so far?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, we got the We had the benefit of seeing

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<v Speaker 4>what other companies did with their private equity partnerships.

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<v Speaker 3>So when we.

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<v Speaker 4>Approached or were approached by private equity back you know,

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<v Speaker 4>several years ago, we were really thoughtful and delivered about

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<v Speaker 4>who would be the right partner for us, because the

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<v Speaker 4>last thing we wanted was to get into business with

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<v Speaker 4>a company that was going to disrupt how how we

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<v Speaker 4>did our business, because we hold very sacred the style

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<v Speaker 4>and the philosophy about representation and about how we do

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<v Speaker 4>it and we think we do it in a very

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<v Speaker 4>unique way. So going through that process, going through that

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<v Speaker 4>dating process of private private equity. We found a very

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<v Speaker 4>good partner back in twenty eighteen, and there were challenges.

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<v Speaker 4>It was when the WGAATA dispute was happening and then

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<v Speaker 4>we went right into a pandemic.

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<v Speaker 3>Yet they were great partners.

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<v Speaker 4>They provided us with the financial firepower to diversify our business.

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<v Speaker 4>Also remind me which this was IVC and PSP, and

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<v Speaker 4>they were in for four years through the ups and

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<v Speaker 4>downs of what was going on in the business, but

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<v Speaker 4>they still exited the business happily.

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<v Speaker 3>They tripled their money. It was good for them.

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<v Speaker 4>It also allowed us to get some liquidity for our

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<v Speaker 4>partners and the rest of the people who worked at UTA.

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<v Speaker 2>With a calling card. If in four years tripled their money.

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<v Speaker 4>It was it was a calling absolutely, the fact that

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<v Speaker 4>we were able to still build the business to that

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<v Speaker 4>extent given some of the challenges of that moment.

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<v Speaker 3>From twenty eighteen to twenty twenty two, it's.

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<v Speaker 2>Shutting down of all entertainment as we knew, yes exactly.

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<v Speaker 4>And then we brought in EQT and we went through

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<v Speaker 4>the same deliberate process about whether or not they would

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<v Speaker 4>be the right partners for us. One of the things

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<v Speaker 4>I remember them saying is they were hands on, not

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<v Speaker 4>hands in. That always stuck with me because we wanted

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<v Speaker 4>the benefit of their expertise being big investors in lots

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<v Speaker 4>of different industries, and we've gotten that and in less

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<v Speaker 4>than a year of them being in business with us,

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<v Speaker 4>back in twenty two we had the double stripe. Once again,

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<v Speaker 4>they understood that was out of our control. They were

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<v Speaker 4>wildly supportive. We continue to invest regardless of what was

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<v Speaker 4>going on with the strike and diversify and acquire more companies.

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<v Speaker 4>And they've been with us, they're coming up on about

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<v Speaker 4>three years. So it's our experience of private equity has

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<v Speaker 4>been nothing but positive. And I know not every company

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<v Speaker 4>can claim the same thing, but that's been our experience.

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<v Speaker 2>As you said, you were able to watch, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>sort of watch how others navigated. Let me ask you

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<v Speaker 2>from a leadership perspective, because obviously you've been a senior

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<v Speaker 2>leader before you were CEO, when you first started in

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<v Speaker 2>that area. Every you know, every agent, every every person

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<v Speaker 2>thinks private equity comes in. An accountant is going to

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<v Speaker 2>tell me how, you know, what deal to make for

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<v Speaker 2>my client that somebody is going to How did you,

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<v Speaker 2>as a leader make people comfortable with the idea that UTA,

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<v Speaker 2>which had been very part you know, a totally privately

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<v Speaker 2>held company before that. How did you make people comfortable

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<v Speaker 2>with the idea that this was not going to radically

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<v Speaker 2>change and in effect enhance in the way.

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<v Speaker 4>You see oftentimes with change, people don't think, oh, great,

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<v Speaker 4>how is this good for me? They think about how

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<v Speaker 4>this is bad for them? And so we kind of

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<v Speaker 4>knew that going in, and like you said, some of

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<v Speaker 4>the questions around what is private ec what are you

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<v Speaker 4>going to do to our experience, our everyday experience, and

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<v Speaker 4>are they going to start looking at what to cut?

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<v Speaker 4>And so one it was important to us to find

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<v Speaker 4>the right partner who wasn't going to do that. And

0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:33.120
<v Speaker 4>two it was incumbent upon leadership to get the messaging out,

0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:35.840
<v Speaker 4>the real accurate messaging about why we were taking on

0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:38.280
<v Speaker 4>a partner, what it was going to do for the business,

0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:42.680
<v Speaker 4>and to have patience to see how that unfolded. And

0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:46.320
<v Speaker 4>as you saw it unfolded our company, it's only been

0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:49.400
<v Speaker 4>beneficial to all the people who work there, and people's

0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:52.560
<v Speaker 4>lives haven't changed. We haven't expected them to do things differently.

0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:55.040
<v Speaker 4>You know, we want to make sure we can provide

0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.600
<v Speaker 4>the service not to the clients we represent, but to

0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:01.000
<v Speaker 4>the talented agents who represent them. And I think as

0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:04.080
<v Speaker 4>time went by, people got more and more comfortable with

0:14:04.120 --> 0:14:05.400
<v Speaker 4>these new partners being.

0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:08.440
<v Speaker 3>Having a stake in the business.

0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:11.040
<v Speaker 4>But at the same time, I don't know if there's

0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:12.800
<v Speaker 4>right way to put it, but it was invisible to

0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:14.360
<v Speaker 4>them in terms of their daily life.

0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:17.199
<v Speaker 2>The proof was in the the proof was in the exit.

0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:19.360
<v Speaker 3>We had to show Nutshell, yeah, absolutely.

0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:23.680
<v Speaker 2>Let me ask you, how have you adjusted? How has

0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:27.440
<v Speaker 2>it been to deal with the end of packaging as

0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:30.320
<v Speaker 2>we knew it? You know that the literary Agent's home

0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.680
<v Speaker 2>run for decades, right how you know that was a

0:14:33.720 --> 0:14:37.920
<v Speaker 2>significant source, although a source that that was also changing

0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:41.200
<v Speaker 2>and because of the nature of the especially in the

0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:43.400
<v Speaker 2>television series area, I don't have to tell you that,

0:14:43.440 --> 0:14:46.120
<v Speaker 2>but just how has it been since the end of

0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:47.080
<v Speaker 2>that revenue stream.

0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:52.080
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, the end of packaging came at an interesting time

0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:56.120
<v Speaker 4>when the value of packaging was also starting to diminish.

0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:01.200
<v Speaker 4>So one of the things we've seen is the diversification

0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:04.640
<v Speaker 4>of our business started to insulate us from some of

0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:09.160
<v Speaker 4>the revenue that was created from packaging. You've also seen

0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:17.440
<v Speaker 4>a lot of actors who never would venture into television.

0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:20.520
<v Speaker 4>Those walls have come down, and you've seen movie stars

0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:24.080
<v Speaker 4>go into television, television stars go into movies, and so

0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:27.240
<v Speaker 4>I think that's created a lot of financial opportunities for

0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:31.520
<v Speaker 4>them and for the for the agencies that, in conjunction

0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:40.640
<v Speaker 4>with the diversification into music, comedy, touring, creators, sports, news, speakers, publishing,

0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:45.200
<v Speaker 4>et cetera, has been super additive to the agency. And

0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:47.360
<v Speaker 4>although hey, it would be nice to have those great

0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:52.200
<v Speaker 4>big packages of yesteryear, that's that's over and and so

0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:56.320
<v Speaker 4>we figured out ways to build out the foundation of

0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:58.960
<v Speaker 4>the company and the and the revenue of the company

0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:00.720
<v Speaker 4>with some of the versification.

0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:04.440
<v Speaker 2>And you know, like the UTA and other major agencies

0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:08.600
<v Speaker 2>and companies are literally rebuilding the entertainment model in real time.

0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:12.360
<v Speaker 2>But I know, another big move for UTA recently was

0:16:12.400 --> 0:16:15.400
<v Speaker 2>the acquisition of Curtis Brown. It's a big agency in

0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:18.040
<v Speaker 2>the UK. Tell me what motivated that and what you

0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:21.040
<v Speaker 2>hope that is going to do for the company.

0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:24.359
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, Curtis Brown's been a great acquisition for us. We

0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:29.640
<v Speaker 4>were looking at different ways to expand internationally, the UK

0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:34.080
<v Speaker 4>being you know, one of the most important markets there

0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:39.280
<v Speaker 4>is in the entertainment media space. So what we looked

0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:43.160
<v Speaker 4>at was how could UTA be in the UK, but

0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:45.960
<v Speaker 4>be there in an authentic way, be there in a

0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:48.160
<v Speaker 4>way where we would have a right to win. So

0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:52.240
<v Speaker 4>we looked at Curtis Brown Agency. It's the biggest and oldest,

0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:55.000
<v Speaker 4>it's one hundred and twenty five year old company. They

0:16:55.000 --> 0:16:58.600
<v Speaker 4>have a pristine brand and so we started talking to them.

0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:01.640
<v Speaker 4>We made that acquisition and in the summer of twenty

0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.840
<v Speaker 4>twenty two, which last week was our three year anniversary.

0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:11.040
<v Speaker 4>It's been you know, it's given us this amazing foothold

0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:15.000
<v Speaker 4>in a very important market. One of the significant pieces

0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:16.960
<v Speaker 4>of their business and how the company started one hundred

0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:18.840
<v Speaker 4>and twenty five years ago was on the publishing side.

0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:21.000
<v Speaker 4>It's about twenty five to thirty percent of their business.

0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.480
<v Speaker 4>We had our own publishing initiative. So their publishing group,

0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.680
<v Speaker 4>you know, working with our publishing group, has created i

0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:31.200
<v Speaker 4>think the biggest publishing division of any of the agencies

0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:34.119
<v Speaker 4>at this point. And we've started to see ways where

0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:36.240
<v Speaker 4>we can be additive to them with some of the

0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.480
<v Speaker 4>pieces that we have that they they don't have. We're

0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:44.040
<v Speaker 4>learning a lot from them because of their their UK history.

0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:46.560
<v Speaker 2>So much going on, I mean all roads right now

0:17:46.560 --> 0:17:47.920
<v Speaker 2>in production seem to lead through.

0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:50.639
<v Speaker 3>There's sore at least. Yeah, there's so much going on.

0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.719
<v Speaker 4>And at the same time, they're operating in a way

0:17:53.960 --> 0:17:58.040
<v Speaker 4>where if we if it doesn't make sense for us

0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:00.920
<v Speaker 4>to stick, you know, our nose to it, we don't.

0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:03.680
<v Speaker 4>And we have an incredible partnership. Johnny Geller's the CEO

0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:05.960
<v Speaker 4>of that company, has been for many years, and he's

0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:09.000
<v Speaker 4>like me, he's been at that company for thirty thirty years,

0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:11.320
<v Speaker 4>started at the beginning. So there's a certain kinship you

0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.040
<v Speaker 4>certainly understand. And the intention is to keep the Curtis

0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:17.440
<v Speaker 4>Brown name. You will keep that extant. The Curtis Brown

0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:21.240
<v Speaker 4>name has tremendous brand value, not just in the UK,

0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:24.000
<v Speaker 4>but you know, around all of Europe.

0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.280
<v Speaker 2>I have to admit I did not appreciate how large

0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:28.359
<v Speaker 2>an agency and how kind of full service they are.

0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:31.880
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, it's about a two hundred and fifty person company,

0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:34.800
<v Speaker 4>and so we've gotten tremendous value out of that.

0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:37.760
<v Speaker 2>Let me button us up here today, David. You grew

0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:41.040
<v Speaker 2>up in Tallahassee. You went to the Uga. Let me

0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:43.760
<v Speaker 2>ask you, how did a boy from Tallahassee who went

0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:45.680
<v Speaker 2>to school in Georgia, how did you get to Hollywood.

0:18:46.640 --> 0:18:49.800
<v Speaker 4>So I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, but I always

0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:52.800
<v Speaker 4>had a love of the movie and television business, not

0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:55.160
<v Speaker 4>knowing at all that what that really meant.

0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:57.080
<v Speaker 3>But I was a movie lover. I got a credit

0:18:57.160 --> 0:19:00.199
<v Speaker 3>my mother for that. She was a movie lover and

0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:00.720
<v Speaker 3>Ted Turner.

0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:04.520
<v Speaker 4>Ted Turner who had the superstation TBS, and he would

0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:05.840
<v Speaker 4>play all the old movies.

0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:06.640
<v Speaker 3>I think the.

0:19:06.600 --> 0:19:09.320
<v Speaker 4>Story was he was kind of, you know, frugal, and

0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:11.560
<v Speaker 4>so he would just license all these old movies. My

0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:14.119
<v Speaker 4>movie education came from Ted Turner and my mother watching

0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.159
<v Speaker 4>movies on the weekend, non NonStop.

0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:17.200
<v Speaker 3>I went to university.

0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:20.960
<v Speaker 4>I went to the University of Georgia, and that was

0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:22.800
<v Speaker 4>a great experience for me. I got to work on

0:19:22.840 --> 0:19:24.800
<v Speaker 4>a movie between my junior and senior year. It was

0:19:24.800 --> 0:19:28.320
<v Speaker 4>the only movie, a TV movie shooting in Atlanta that year.

0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:30.720
<v Speaker 4>So it just shows you how things have changed so much,

0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:31.280
<v Speaker 4>and then.

0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:32.560
<v Speaker 2>It shows you that you found it.

0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:33.800
<v Speaker 3>That's right there you go.

0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:37.960
<v Speaker 4>So and then I applied and somehow shockingly got into

0:19:38.280 --> 0:19:41.360
<v Speaker 4>USC Film school, and so that got me out to California.

0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:43.840
<v Speaker 4>I went to the Peter Stark Motion Picture Producing program

0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:47.760
<v Speaker 4>and then, by by nothing but a stroke luck, ended

0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:50.000
<v Speaker 4>up in the mailroom at what to use your term,

0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:56.359
<v Speaker 4>a startup boutique literary agency UTA, and for me, I

0:19:56.640 --> 0:20:00.320
<v Speaker 4>have been so fortunate to be there, to be part

0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:03.680
<v Speaker 4>of its growth, to watch it go from only representing

0:20:03.680 --> 0:20:05.960
<v Speaker 4>writers and directors and actors and movies and television to

0:20:06.080 --> 0:20:12.679
<v Speaker 4>representing talent that spans all the different pieces of the

0:20:12.840 --> 0:20:16.040
<v Speaker 4>entertainment media, sports business in a way that none of

0:20:16.119 --> 0:20:19.159
<v Speaker 4>us could have predicted. So I feel so lucky to

0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:22.480
<v Speaker 4>have grown up with it, and I'm excited about the future.

0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:25.080
<v Speaker 2>All that hustling in the mailroom paid off. All right,

0:20:25.200 --> 0:20:27.000
<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much, David. This has been fun.

0:20:27.080 --> 0:20:28.280
<v Speaker 3>Thank you so much for having me.

0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:32.880
<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening.

0:20:33.320 --> 0:20:37.040
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0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:37.520
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0:20:37.720 --> 0:20:39.400
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0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:42.239
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0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:46.399
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