Categories
Internships Sports Agents Sports Business

IMG’s IMaGe

CAA may be the new IMG as it has gained the latter’s best agents and team-players.

For many years, IMG has been the staple of the Sports Agent world. It has represented some of the best football players (Peyton Manning), baseball players (Derek Jeter), etc. When Ted Forstmann bought the company for $750 million, Peter Johnson was fired, IMG’s team-sports division was scrapped (bye bye Manning and Jeter), and its top agents (Casey Close and Tom Condon) moved on to CAA.

It is definitely true that IMG was previously viewed primarily as a sports service firm. It has been reinvented under Forstmann to focus more on its media and entertainment services. Whether or not Forstmann was aware of a stipulation in Close’s and Condon’s contracts, which allowed them to leave IMG with their clients if Peter Johnson was ever fired, IMG profits are about three times higher now than when Forstmann bought it [Why Did IMG Let All Those Stars Walk?]. It seems like Close and Condon made out well by selling their services to CAA, and that IMG faired fine with an increase in profits since Forstmann’s moves.

There is something to be said for those of you interested in working in the field of sports, however. IMG is definitely still a major international corporation with many opportunities for employment. Potential employees should realize that the philosophy behind IMG has changed, though. With more of a focus on entertainment and media, an internship in CAA may be more rewarding for a future Sports Agent than an internship with IMG. At the same time, IMG continues to be a leader in representing individual-sport athletes (Tiger Woods, Roger Federer), so if you are interested in that area, IMG is still a great place to work.

-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.

2 replies on “IMG’s IMaGe”

[…] I have mentioned before that IMG is no longer interested in delving into the team sports arena, and will instead focus on representing athletes in individual sports (i.e. tennis and golf) along with buying every sports and entertainment company that it can get its hands onto.  Focusing on the sports side of the company, IMG has just signed Spanish golfer, Pablo Martin, the day that he turned pro [Pablo Martin Signs With IMG].  This is another big signing for the company.  Martin holds the title of being the only amateur to ever win an event on the European Tour. […]

Comments are closed.