What NEXT LEVEL ENTERTAINMENT does

Next Level Entertainment (NLE) is a boutique talent management and entertainment representation company founded in January 2013 by Kimberly Strauss, headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York, London, Australia, and New Zealand. The firm represents a diversified roster across multiple entertainment verticals: established and youth actors for television and film, music artists across genres (pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop, indie, adult contemporary), upcoming and working writers, and directors, cinematographers, producers, and content creators. NLE also operates an in-house production company that develops original projects to showcase and advance its clients, producing two web series in its first two years and moving nine projects through the development pipeline by 2018.

The company's business model follows the standard entertainment talent management commission structure, monetizing through client earnings rather than disclosed fees. Co-founder Mario Anastasiades leads UK and Far East operations from London, bringing over three decades of music industry experience including 20 years as Managing Director of Rise International Music LTD, while manager Martin Herrera (joined 2021) contributes 40+ years across talent management, casting, and strategic marketing with credits on productions including Dexter and The Morning Show. The youth division has grown to include more than 30 named young actors, alongside a music roster of approximately five artists and a smaller literary roster represented by writer Chuck Eji.

The firm competes on personalized boutique service, founder-driven industry relationships cultivated over decades, and the structural advantage of in-house production capability that enables packaging and showcase opportunities not available at pure-representation competitors. There is no proprietary technology platform; distribution relies on direct relationships with studios, networks, streaming platforms, and labels across its five international offices. The company is privately held, founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors.

Name

NEXT LEVEL ENTERTAINMENT

Legal name

Next Level Entertainment

Website

https://nextlevelentertainmentglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Next Level Entertainment is a boutique talent management firm representing actors, music artists, writers, directors, and producers across Los Angeles, New York, London, Australia, and New Zealand, with an in-house production arm developing original projects for its roster.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Talent Management Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Agency & Representation Services (HSACAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entertainment Booking & Speaker/Talent Management (HSACAAAI), Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA), Talent Booking Agencies (Live Performance) (MPAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Talent management services
• Music artist representation
• Acting representation
• Literary representation
• Entertainment production

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Next Level Entertainment is a boutique talent management firm that represents actors, music artists, writers, directors, cinematographers, and producers across television, film, and music. The firm operates an in-house production company that develops original projects to further client careers, and offers career development, brand optimization, and writers room mentorship across its LA, NYC, London, Australia, and New Zealand offices.

Product overview

Next Level Entertainment is a boutique talent management and entertainment company that represents music artists, actors, writers, directors, and content creators across multiple entertainment verticals. The company provides theatrical representation (TV and film), music artist representation, literary representation for writers, and in-house production services. Rather than a software product portfolio, the company's offerings are professional services encompassing talent representation, career development, brand marketing, and original content production across Los Angeles, New York, London, Australia, and New Zealand offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatrical Talent Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• Two successful web series produced in first two years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers44 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United Talent Agency (UTA): Major global talent agency representing clients across entertainment, sports, and broader media. Comparable verticals (actors, writers, directors, music) but vastly larger scale; sets the competitive standard NLE must position against.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Largest global talent and entertainment agency representing actors, writers, directors, musicians, and athletes across all major verticals. Relevant incumbent that defines the competitive ceiling and packaging benchmark NLE operates beneath.

Direct peers

• Luber Roklin Entertainment: Boutique talent management company representing actors, writers, and directors with a focus on career development and packaging. Comparable in boutique scale and multi-vertical representation strategy.
• Innovative Artists: Boutique talent agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York representing actors, writers, directors, and producers in film, TV, and commercials. Closely comparable in scale, vertical mix, and market positioning to NLE.
• Abrams Artists Agency: Mid-size boutique talent agency representing actors, writers, directors, and below-the-line talent across film, TV, theater, and voiceover. Highly comparable as a multi-vertical boutique competing for the same client profile as NLE.
• Agency for the Performing Arts (APA): Mid-size multi-vertical agency representing actors, writers, directors, and musicians across film, TV, theater, and music. Closely comparable service mix and boutique-to-mid market positioning to NLE.
• Verve Talent and Literary Agency: Boutique talent and literary agency representing actors, writers, directors, and producers across film, TV, and publishing. Directly comparable in combining talent and literary representation with packaging capabilities.

Emerging players

• Range Media Partners: Recently launched talent management firm with an integrated production and investment model. Comparable in its combination of management and in-house production, though operating at a larger and more capitalized scale than NLE.

Others

• RISE International Music LTD: Music publishing and rights acquisition firm co-founded by Mario Anastasiades, NLE's UK co-founder. Ecosystem-connected through personnel rather than direct competition; relevant for understanding NLE's UK publishing pipeline.
• Imprint Entertainment: Talent management firm where NLE founder Kimberly Strauss previously worked as Executive Assistant. Ecosystem-connected predecessor; useful for understanding founder's background rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-level-entertainment-global-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about NEXT LEVEL ENTERTAINMENT