Categories
Sports Agents Sports Business

Enter Another Conglomerate

Joel Segal’s Worldwide Football Inc. has been acquired by Blue Equity LLC.

If you have ever heard of Joel Segal, it is probably because he is Reggie Bush’s agent for contractual negotiations with NFL teams. In the past, I may have even put some of the blame on Segal for not negotiating Bush in the right manner to Houston Texans owner, Bob McNair, which could have resulted in their selection of Mario Williams [What Went Wrong in the Reggie Bush Sweepstakes?]. Nevertheless, his company Worldwide Football Inc. also represents Mushin Muhammad, Michael Vick, Michael Jenkins, Alex Brown, etc. I meant to say his former company.

Joel Segal has just sold Worldwide Football Inc. to private equity firm Blue Equity LLC [Joel Segal Sells Worldwide Football Agency to Blue Equity]. Watch out IMG, CAA, and WMG, Blue Equity is making a charge. In addition to acquiring Segal’s agency, Blue Equity already owns SFX Sports Group and Blackwave Media Group (they favor companies that use the word “Group”). Segal will be placed in charge of Blue Equity’s newly formed football division.

Now Blue Equity dominates tennis, basketball, and football. And it looks like Blue Equity is not done buying out the competition. Discussions are currently being held for additional acquisitions that could be announced later this week [Blue Equity buys leading NFL agency]. Baseball, hockey, and golf may be added to the list of sports that Blue Equity is involved in (just one more reason to be a soccer/UFC agent..). Should smaller boutique agencies be scared? I still say no. There are advantages of being a smaller entity as a select few firms become behemoths in the industry.

-Darren Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

6 replies on “Enter Another Conglomerate”

Wow… another boutique agent gets eaten up. Although with all the scrutiny Joel has been under with Vick and Bush as of recently, a little corporate influence might be of benefit to his enterprise.

Does anyone know of any US based agency or representation firms that have significant soccer departments?

IMG is a good place to start. From their website:

“IMG represents more than 150 players and media rights for some of the world’s best-known federations, leagues and clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, FA Premier League, English Football Association, French League, Dutch League and Canadian Soccer Association. IMG also represents all commercial interests for VFL Wolfsburg, FC Koln, 1860 Munchen, and IFK Goteborg.”

By Post Author

IMG is a good soccer rep firm, but Wasserman Media Group snapped up the premier soccer agency for MLS (Motzkin and Dan Segal’s group).

This may be the best thing for Joel, especially if Blue Equity tells him, or encourages him, to hire help. Joel tried to run things as a one man show and unfortunately he really let a lot of marketing opportunities for his guys slip through because of his limited time he could spend on each player…

Comments are closed.