Endeavor
Endeavor (now WME Group) is a privately held global entertainment and sports company operating WME talent agency, 160over90 marketing, IMG Licensing, and Pantheon Media Group to represent artists and connect blue-chip brands to culture across nearly 20 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBeverly Hills, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Endeavor does
Endeavor, rebranded as WME Group following Silver Lake's $25 billion take-private transaction in March 2025, is a privately held global entertainment and sports company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. The company operates through four primary business units: WME (a premier talent agency representing artists, content creators, and performers across film, television, music, sports, theater, digital media, fashion, food, and books), 160over90 (a global marketing agency connecting brands with cultural moments), IMG Licensing (brand licensing management for media franchises, trademarks, events, and talent), and Pantheon Media Group (an Emmy Award-winning unscripted content production company). The company serves two core customer segments: individual talent seeking representation and career development, and blue-chip brands seeking cultural marketing connections, licensing programs, and content production services.
The business model is primarily commission-based and service-oriented. Revenue streams include talent representation commissions across entertainment verticals, professional services fees from 160over90's brand marketing engagements, brand licensing royalties managed through IMG Licensing, and content production fees from Pantheon Media Group. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company maintains direct enterprise client relationships through field-based sales and account management teams. Following the 2025 take-private, Endeavor has executed a significant portfolio restructuring: it sold OpenBet's sports betting technology (IMG ARENA) to Sportradar for approximately $225 million, divested Endeavor Streaming to Deltatre, spun off IMG's arts and entertainment and action sports portfolios into Ari Emanuel's new Mari holding company, and is transferring PBR, On Location, and IMG to TKO Group Holdings in a $3.25 billion all-equity transaction that leaves Endeavor with approximately 59% of TKO post-close.
The company is backed by Silver Lake Group as institutional sponsor and led by co-founder and CEO Ariel Emanuel. It operates across nearly 20 countries and territories with 3,000+ employees, though reported revenue figures suggest significant scale (the financial summary indicates approximately $7.1 billion in 2024 revenue, growing from $3.5 billion in 2020). The company has been subject to a securities fraud class action lawsuit relating to its prior public disclosures and to a UK CMA investigation of the Sportradar/IMG Arena transaction.
Endeavor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Endeavor
- Legal name
- WME Group, LLC
- Website
- http://www.endeavorco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Endeavor (now WME Group) is a privately held global entertainment and sports company operating WME talent agency, 160over90 marketing, IMG Licensing, and Pantheon Media Group to represent artists and connect blue-chip brands to culture across nearly 20 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Endeavor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment and Sports Services
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Media Representatives (541840), Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA), Product Launches & Brand Activations (Experiential Marketing) (MPAGAHAD)
Keywords
Where Endeavor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beverly Hills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Endeavor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Talent Representation: Commission-based representation of artists, talent, and content creators across multiple entertainment verticals including film, television, music, sports, and digital media.
- Marketing Services: Global marketing agency services through 160over90 connecting brands with people, places and moments that matter most.
- Brand Licensing: IMG Licensing manages licensing programs for world-renowned brands, media franchises, events, trademarks, and talent.
- Content Production: Pantheon Media produces unscripted content including live events, factual entertainment, premium documentaries, true crime, and sports programming.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Endeavor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Endeavor (now WME Group) is a global sports, entertainment, and media holding company that represents the world's leading talent through its WME agency, delivers brand marketing services through 160over90, manages brand licensing programs through IMG Licensing, and produces unscripted content through Pantheon Media Group. Its offerings serve individual artists, athletes, and content creators seeking professional representation, as well as blue-chip brands seeking cultural marketing partnerships, licensing programs, and experiential activations.
Product overview
Endeavor, rebranded to WME Group following Silver Lake's $25 billion take-private transaction in 2025, operates a diversified entertainment and sports portfolio through its WME GROUP Network. The company connects blue-chip brands to culture through talent representation (WME), global marketing services (160over90), brand licensing (IMG Licensing), and unscripted content production (Pantheon Media Group). Endeavor previously owned TKO Group Holdings (combining WWE and UFC), sports betting technology (OpenBet/IMG Arena), and streaming services (Endeavor Streaming, since sold to Deltatre). Ari Emanuel's Mari holding company now controls Endeavor's live events and experiences assets including Frieze, tennis tournaments, and Barrett-Jackson.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WME: Talent agency representing artists, content creators and talent across books, digital media, fashion, film, food, music, sports, television, and theater
- 160over90
- IMG Licensing
- Pantheon Media Group
Products and services
- WME (William Morris Endeavor) A premier talent agency representing the world's greatest artists, content creators, and talent across books, digital media, fashion, film, food, music, sports, television, and theater.
- 160over90 A global marketing agency that connects brands with the people, places, and moments that matter most.
- IMG Licensing
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,000+ employees across nearly 20 countries supporting global operations
Companies that use Endeavor
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Endeavor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Endeavor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.
- TKO Group HoldingsflagshipTKO Group announced an all-equity acquisition of PBR, On Location, and IMG from Endeavor for $3.25 billion, expanding its leadership footprint in premium global sports. Endeavor will receive approximately 26.14 million common units and own roughly 59% of TKO post-transaction.
- SportradarmajorSportradar acquired IMG ARENA and its global sports betting rights portfolio from Endeavor Group Holdings and OB Global Holdings for approximately $225 million, significantly expanding Sportradar's sports content offerings with over 1 million matches annually across 14 sports.
- MaricoreAri Emanuel launched Mari, a new holding company managing global events including Frieze, tennis tournaments like the Madrid and Miami Open, and a stake in Barrett-Jackson. Mari acquired IMG's arts and entertainment portfolio and action sports events portfolios from Endeavor. The company has raised over $2 billion in equity.
- ChubbcoreChubb and Endeavor forged a global partnership to empower entrepreneurs and support emerging market economic growth.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Endeavor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA): CAA is the closest direct competitor to WME, offering full-service talent representation across film, TV, music, sports, and digital. Both agencies compete head-to-head for the same A-list clients and increasingly for content production and brand-marketing mandates.
- United Talent Agency (UTA): UTA is another top-tier full-service talent agency competing with WME across entertainment verticals. It has expanded into sports, music, and brand marketing, mirroring WME's diversification strategy.
- Octagon: Octagon is a global sports marketing agency representing athletes and managing sponsorship programs — directly overlapping WME's sports representation and IMG's sports marketing activities.
Broad incumbents
- Live Nation Entertainment: Live Nation is the world's largest live entertainment company with major ticketing, venue, and sponsorship assets. It overlaps with WME/IMG's live events and talent representation businesses and is a key counterparty for concert and tour representation.
- WPP: WPP is one of the world's largest advertising and marketing services holding companies, competing with 160over90 for global brand-marketing budgets. Its scale and agency network (Ogilvy, VMLY&R, GroupM) make it a direct competitor in brand-experience mandates.
- Publicis Groupe: Publicis is a global advertising and marketing services giant with capabilities overlapping 160over90's experiential and brand-activation work. Its acquisition-led growth in digital and creative agencies parallels WME Group's own roll-up approach.
- Omnicom Group: Omnicom is a leading global marketing and communications holding company with significant sports and entertainment marketing expertise (particularly through its agencies like Droga5 and the Omnicom specialty brands), competing with 160over90.
- AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group): AEG is a global sports and live entertainment conglomerate that owns/operates venues, teams, and events. It overlaps with IMG's live-events portfolio and competes for premium sports/entertainment IP rights.
Emerging players
- Excel Sports Management: Excel Sports Management is a leading sports talent agency whose acquisition by Goldman Sachs (~Nov 2025) signals institutional capital flowing into the sports representation space, increasing competitive pressure on WME's athlete representation business.
- Roc Nation: Roc Nation is a full-service entertainment company spanning talent management, music, sports, and brand marketing. It competes with WME in artist and athlete representation while expanding into management and licensing adjacent to WME's IMG and 160over90 businesses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Endeavor social profiles
Digital presenceEndeavor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Endeavor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Endeavor subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Endeavor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Endeavor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A15 records
Investments12 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Endeavor
What does Endeavor do?
Endeavor (now WME Group) is a global sports, entertainment, and media holding company that represents the world's leading talent through its WME agency, delivers brand marketing services through 160over90, manages brand licensing programs through IMG Licensing, and produces unscripted content through Pantheon Media Group. Its offerings serve individual artists, athletes, and content creators seeking professional representation, as well as blue-chip brands seeking cultural marketing partnerships, licensing programs, and experiential activations.
Is Endeavor a public or private company?
Endeavor is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Endeavor founded?
Endeavor was founded in 2009. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Endeavor based?
Endeavor is headquartered in Beverly Hills, United States, in the North America region.
How does Endeavor make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Talent Representation is the primary driver. The others are marketing Services, brand Licensing and content Production.
Who are Endeavor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Creative Artists Agency (CAA), United Talent Agency (UTA) and Octagon. Broad incumbents are Live Nation Entertainment, WPP, Publicis Groupe, Omnicom Group and AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group). Emerging players are Excel Sports Management and Roc Nation.
Does Endeavor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Endeavor.
What industry is Endeavor in?
Endeavor's product category is Entertainment and Sports Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAMAA, Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management), with a secondary code of MPAAAGAA, Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design. Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7311.