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Association of Talent Agents

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uuid000wfrk

Namestring
Association of Talent Agents
Legal namestring
Association of Talent Agents
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
1937
Descriptiontext

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a U.S. trade association founded in 1937 that serves as the official collective voice for talent agencies in matters of legislative advocacy, agency licensing, and guild negotiations. Its 100+ member agencies represent the vast majority of professional working artists, and ATA holds the institutional counterparty role in agency franchise agreements with SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and the Directors Guild of America (DGA), currently engaged in 2026-2030 contract cycles across all three guilds alongside monitoring of IATSE and Actors' Equity negotiations.

The organization delivers its value proposition almost entirely through non-technological services: best practices guidance, contract templates and review sessions, educational seminars, networking events, conferences, member-only news bulletins, state-by-state licensing support, and Political Action Committee activity in California and New York. Its primary distribution surface is a members-only web portal (login-gated on agentassociation.com) that hosts union agreements, contract templates, and curated news, supported by direct outreach to prospective member agencies and referrals from existing members. There is no software platform, no API, and no proprietary technology stack.

ATA is structured as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association, governed by a board of directors elected from member agencies to two-year terms (the current 2024-2026 board took office in January 2024) and led day-to-day by Executive Director Karen Stuart. The association employs 11-50 staff based out of a single Santa Monica headquarters at 3019 Ocean Park Blvd, and it is financed exclusively through membership dues with no venture, private equity, or external ownership involvement.

Short descriptiontext

The Association of Talent Agents is a 1937-founded U.S. trade association that represents 100+ talent agencies in legislative advocacy, licensing compliance, and collective negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and the DGA.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
11–50
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
HQ citystring
Santa Monica
HQ countrystring
United States
HQ regionstring
North America
Markets served

Serves global market

Offices1 record

Each record includes

City, Country, Type, Description, Source

Keyword5 values
talent agency advocacy, guild negotiation services, trade association membership, legislative advocacy services, entertainment industry lobbying
Industry1 code
1Talent Agency & Representation Services
CodeHSACAHAKPrimaryNo
NAICS code2 codes
  • Business Associations813910
  • Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures7114
SIC code1 code
  • Services-Membership Organizations8600
Product category
Trade Association Services
No data
GTM motion1 record

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model1 record
1Membership Dues
TypeSubscription Recurring
Description

ATA generates revenue through membership dues paid by talent agencies. Member companies pay fees to join and maintain membership in the association, which provides access to resources, advocacy, negotiation support, and networking services.

agentassociation.com
Marketing channels4 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels2 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values
Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Pricing details1 tier
1Agency Membership
ModelSubscriptionBilling cadenceAnnual
Notes

Membership dues structure not publicly disclosed. Join/membership section available on website for prospective members to initiate enrollment process.

agentassociation.com
GTM typeB2B
B2B
Offering typeServices
Services
Core offering1 text field

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a nonprofit trade association serving 100+ talent agencies across the United States. It provides legislative advocacy, negotiates agency franchise agreements and regulations with major entertainment guilds (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA), and delivers best practices, education, seminars, networking events, conferences, news bulletins, expert opinions, and day-to-day support to member agencies. The organization was founded in 1937 and represents the vast majority of professional working artists through its member companies.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Product overview1 text field

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a trade association for talent agencies, not a technology product company. It does not offer a software platform or digital product. ATA provides membership-based services including legislative advocacy, negotiation of agency franchise agreements with major entertainment guilds (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA), best practices guidance, education programs, seminars, networking events, conferences, news bulletins, expert opinions, and day-to-day support for its member companies.

Scale indicator2 records

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Partnership6 partners
Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

ATA negotiates agency franchise agreements and regulations with SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors. The partnership involves ongoing contract negotiations for TV/Film agreements (2026-2030) and commercials contracts. ATA provides excerpted summaries and contract reviews for members.

Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

ATA maintains relationships with WGA for agency franchise agreements. WGA contract negotiations (2026 MBA term May 2, 2026 through May 1, 2030) impact member agencies.

Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

ATA negotiates agency franchise agreements with DGA. DGA contract term is 4 years, July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030. ATA sets meetings with DGA for members to review new terms.

Strategic tierMajorTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

ATA monitors IATSE contract negotiations and provides updates to members regarding crew and below-the-line worker agreements that affect productions.

Strategic tierCoreTypeOthers
Description

ATA provides state-by-state breakdown of talent agency licensing requirements and directs members to contact each State Labor Department directly for detailed information on talent agency laws.

Strategic tierMinorTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

ATA monitors and reports on Actors' Equity contract negotiations affecting live theater talent represented by member agencies.

Recent move5 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight4 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Market position
Weaknesses4 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Named customers1 record

Each record includes

Name, Industry, Type, Use case, Source, UUID

Segment1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile1 record

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
No
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
Profiles2 records

Each record includes

Name, Designation, Designation category, Overview, Profile commentary, Source

No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Association of Talent Agents

Trade Association Servicesagentassociation.com

The Association of Talent Agents is a 1937-founded U.S. trade association that represents 100+ talent agencies in legislative advocacy, licensing compliance, and collective negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and the DGA.

What Association of Talent Agents does

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a U.S. trade association founded in 1937 that serves as the official collective voice for talent agencies in matters of legislative advocacy, agency licensing, and guild negotiations. Its 100+ member agencies represent the vast majority of professional working artists, and ATA holds the institutional counterparty role in agency franchise agreements with SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and the Directors Guild of America (DGA), currently engaged in 2026-2030 contract cycles across all three guilds alongside monitoring of IATSE and Actors' Equity negotiations.

The organization delivers its value proposition almost entirely through non-technological services: best practices guidance, contract templates and review sessions, educational seminars, networking events, conferences, member-only news bulletins, state-by-state licensing support, and Political Action Committee activity in California and New York. Its primary distribution surface is a members-only web portal (login-gated on agentassociation.com) that hosts union agreements, contract templates, and curated news, supported by direct outreach to prospective member agencies and referrals from existing members. There is no software platform, no API, and no proprietary technology stack.

ATA is structured as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association, governed by a board of directors elected from member agencies to two-year terms (the current 2024-2026 board took office in January 2024) and led day-to-day by Executive Director Karen Stuart. The association employs 11-50 staff based out of a single Santa Monica headquarters at 3019 Ocean Park Blvd, and it is financed exclusively through membership dues with no venture, private equity, or external ownership involvement.

Association of Talent Agents firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Association of Talent Agents
Legal name
Association of Talent Agents
Website
https://agentassociation.com
Company type
Private
Founded year
1937
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
11–50 employees
Short description
The Association of Talent Agents is a 1937-founded U.S. trade association that represents 100+ talent agencies in legislative advocacy, licensing compliance, and collective negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and the DGA.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Association of Talent Agents is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Santa Monica
HQ country
United States
HQ region
North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Association of Talent Agents business model

Business model
GTM type
B2B
Offering type
Services
Cost components
Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

  1. Membership Dues: ATA generates revenue through membership dues paid by talent agencies. Member companies pay fees to join and maintain membership in the association, which provides access to resources, advocacy, negotiation support, and networking services.

Pricing tiers

ModelBillingPrice
SubscriptionAnnualAgency Membership

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Association of Talent Agents product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a nonprofit trade association serving 100+ talent agencies across the United States. It provides legislative advocacy, negotiates agency franchise agreements and regulations with major entertainment guilds (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA), and delivers best practices, education, seminars, networking events, conferences, news bulletins, expert opinions, and day-to-day support to member agencies. The organization was founded in 1937 and represents the vast majority of professional working artists through its member companies.

Product overview

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a trade association for talent agencies, not a technology product company. It does not offer a software platform or digital product. ATA provides membership-based services including legislative advocacy, negotiation of agency franchise agreements with major entertainment guilds (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA), best practices guidance, education programs, seminars, networking events, conferences, news bulletins, expert opinions, and day-to-day support for its member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Companies that use Association of Talent Agents

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Association of Talent Agents technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Association of Talent Agents partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

  • SAG-AFTRAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATA negotiates agency franchise agreements and regulations with SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors. The partnership involves ongoing contract negotiations for TV/Film agreements (2026-2030) and commercials contracts. ATA provides excerpted summaries and contract reviews for members.
  • Writers Guild of America (WGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATA maintains relationships with WGA for agency franchise agreements. WGA contract negotiations (2026 MBA term May 2, 2026 through May 1, 2030) impact member agencies.
  • Directors Guild of America (DGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATA negotiates agency franchise agreements with DGA. DGA contract term is 4 years, July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030. ATA sets meetings with DGA for members to review new terms.
  • IATSEmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerATA monitors IATSE contract negotiations and provides updates to members regarding crew and below-the-line worker agreements that affect productions.
  • State Labor DepartmentscoreOthersATA provides state-by-state breakdown of talent agency licensing requirements and directs members to contact each State Labor Department directly for detailed information on talent agency laws.
  • Actors' Equity AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerATA monitors and reports on Actors' Equity contract negotiations affecting live theater talent represented by member agencies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Association of Talent Agents competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Association of Talent Agents financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Association of Talent Agents leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Association of Talent Agents funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Association of Talent Agents M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association of Talent Agents

What does Association of Talent Agents do?

The Association of Talent Agents (ATA) is a nonprofit trade association serving 100+ talent agencies across the United States. It provides legislative advocacy, negotiates agency franchise agreements and regulations with major entertainment guilds (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA), and delivers best practices, education, seminars, networking events, conferences, news bulletins, expert opinions, and day-to-day support to member agencies. The organization was founded in 1937 and represents the vast majority of professional working artists through its member companies.

Is Association of Talent Agents a public or private company?

Association of Talent Agents is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Association of Talent Agents founded?

Association of Talent Agents was founded in 1937. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Association of Talent Agents based?

Association of Talent Agents is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.

How does Association of Talent Agents make money?

One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.

Does Association of Talent Agents have an API?

No public API is recorded for Association of Talent Agents.

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Live signals
AgentassociationAssociation of Talent AgentsThe Association of Talent Agents (ATA) serves as the official trade association for talent agencies in the U.S., providing legislative advocacy and negotiating franchise agreements with major entertainment guilds. Its member companies, which represent most professional working artists, receive support through best practices, education, and expert opinions. The ATA also operates political action committees to support candidates who influence public policy affecting talent agencies.DeadlineSandy Bresler Dies: Jack Nicholson’s Agent For 60-Plus Years & Agency Founder Was 87Sandy Bresler, who represented Jack Nicholson for more than 60 years and founded two talent agencies, died at 87 after a brief illness, his family told Deadline. He served on the Association of Talent Agents' board for nearly 30 years and was its president for over a decade. A funeral is scheduled for August 6 at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles.DeadlineMonths After KMR Talent’s “Payment Breakdown,” Clients Are Still Waiting For Their MoneyKMR Talent continues to face severe financial distress as clients report unpaid wages and bounced checks months after the agency announced a payment breakdown. The SAG-AFTRA union estimates that approximately $3 million is owed to its members, prompting affected actors to file criminal complaints with police and investigate potential class-action lawsuits. Consequently, KMR has suspended its franchise with SAG-AFTRA and left the Association of Talent Agents trade organization.DeadlineKMR Talent Exits Association Of Talent AgentsKMR Talent has left the Association of Talent Agents, with the exit timing unclear but recent. The agency is grappling with talent payment delays, blaming banking issues and a database crash, and denies closure despite rumors.VarietyWriter Jon Robin Baitz Defies WGA Order to Fire Agent, Slams Guild LeadershipPlaywright and TV writer Jon Robin Baitz, a WGA member, sent a letter to guild leadership refusing to sever ties with his CAA agents, citing a lucrative deal with WIIP and personal friendships with Bryan Lourd and Joe Cohen. He criticized the guild's bellicose rhetoric in agency franchise negotiations with the Association of Talent Agents and called for more measured leadership.YahooWGA Seeks To Reshape Talent Agency Business With Proposal For New DealThe Writers Guild is proposing a new agreement with the Association of Talent Agents that would end packaging deals and all financial interests in productions. The proposal would cap agency commissions at 10% and bar agencies from any ownership or revenue from client projects, effectively returning agencies to a pure commission model.