Labor and Agents

Athletes First returned to the top of the agency leaderboards in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft from Pittsburgh. The Laguna Hills-based agency finished the night with nine selections in its first victory in three years, putting an end to CAA Sports’ two-year win streak in dominant fashion.

Athletes First looks primed to represent the most NFL Draft first-round picks Thursday night, with rival agency CAA Sports trailing behind in second place, SBJ’s Irving Mejia-Hilario reports. The two have been going back and forth for the last 10 years over which agency is the most dominant in the f...

The NWSL Players Association has taken an equity stake in OneTeam Partners, the athlete group licensing and sponsorship firm that has managed its group licensing rights since 2022. OneTeam will also become the union’s exclusive sponsorship partner, adding to its existing group licensing role. The de...

Kelli Masters has built a career staying ahead of the curve -- from becoming one of the first women certified as an NFLPA agent to representing top draft picks.

Which agencies won the first round of the NFL Draft? Each year, Sports Business Journal breaks down agency representation across all Round 1 picks, complete with a detailed chart of teams, players, agencies and agents. Browse a decade of coverage below.

The list of prospective buyers for Casey Wasserman’s stake in The Team, formerly Wasserman, is “likely to be whittled down in the coming weeks” as the sale process remains “in its early stages,” according to sources cited by Toonkel & Thomas of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Initial bids were “due Mon...

For fans, NFL Draft night is a spectacle with the glow of bright lights, a roaring crowd and the anticipation of seeing their favorite team potentially land a star. For agents, the experience comes behind closed doors, with hushed conversations and a slow, agonizing countdown to one phone call.

Suitors are weighing a deal for at least founder Casey Wasserman stake in The Team, formerly known as Wasserman, ahead of a crucial deadline in the agency’s sale.