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Sports Business

BEST Becomes Better

In Jason Belzer’s recent Sports Agency Rankings, he put Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST) at number three, behind WMG and CAA. Many people have never even heard of BEST before, so how could it be ranked higher than a juggernaut known as IMG (International Management Group)? IMG is much older than BEST, but in a very short amount of time, Jonathan Blue, Chairman of Blue Equity, has built a sports empire by literally buying out some of the top agents and agencies in the sports representation business.

If you can’t beat them, buy them. Blue’s latest acquisition is Fegan & Associates, led by agent, Dan Fegan. Fegan is a big boy in the world of basketball, representing names like Shawn Marion, Yi Jianlian, and Jason Richardson. All of his clients join the already large stable at BEST, which had been and will most likely continue to be run by Bill Strickland. Before joining BEST, Strickland was in charge of Black Wave Media. By looking at the company’s name alone, you would not think it was a basketball agency, but you would be wrong. BEST acquired Black Wave and now it adds a Fegan to the fold.

Before adding Fegan, BEST already boasted a client list of Joakim Noah, Rasheed Wallace, Corey Brewer, and many other big time ballers. Before the acquisition of Fegan and Associates, BEST was hanging around with the likes of CSMG and Interperformances when it came to its basketball division. Now, I would put it up with ASM Sports and Excel Sports Management. They are definitely in the top tier, but still just one step below the big three basketball agencies: WMG, BDA, and Priority Sports.

With more and more mergers by the week, what does it say for a young agent/agency trying to break in? How will others compete against WMG, BDA, Priority, and now BEST? If you are not a part of one of the four aforementioned agencies but are trying to build up a solid basketball division, what will be your strategy and what tactics will you employ?

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.