Top Sports Agencies in the World
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We rank by the same yardstick Forbes uses: each agency's estimated maximum commissions — the fees it could earn across every playing and non-playing contract it manages. That rewards firms with both large rosters and high-value individual deals, so a boutique with a few superstars can still trail a broad multi-sport shop.
- Most valuable
CAA (Creative Artists Agency)
CAA tops Forbes' 2025 list with an estimated $1.14 billion in maximum commissions — its tenth number-one finish in the ten times Forbes has run the ranking. The firm oversees roughly $15.9 billion in playing contracts and another $4.59 billion in non-playing branding deals, a spread no rival matches across the NFL, NBA and MLB.
It ranks above Wasserman by close to $200 million in commissions largely because of individual deal size: CAA represents baseball's Shohei Ohtani, whose $700 million Dodgers contract is the richest in North American sports, plus Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. See where those pay packages land among the highest-paid athletes of all time.
HQ: Los Angeles · Max commissions: ~$1.14B · Contracts under management: ~$20B · Stars: Shohei Ohtani, Josh Allen
- Broadest reach
Wasserman
Wasserman sits second at roughly $956 million in estimated commissions, up about 31% over three years. Its edge is breadth rather than a single blockbuster: soccer, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports all sit under one roof, backed by a reported 4,000-plus clients and more than $9 billion in playing contracts.
It ranks above Excel because that multi-sport base is deeper and its marketing arm is larger, managing close to $2 billion in endorsement deals. Where CAA leans on marquee individual contracts, Wasserman's value comes from volume across leagues — a hedge that keeps its number steadier when any one sport's contracts turn over.
HQ: Los Angeles · Max commissions: ~$956M · Clients: 4,000+ · Focus: soccer, baseball, hockey, Olympic sports
- Fastest riser
Excel Sports Management
Excel has climbed fastest near the top, lifting estimated commissions about 57% over three years to around $783 million. Its foundation is golf — the firm's golf division, led by Mark Steinberg, represents Tiger Woods — and it has pushed hard into basketball and baseball to widen the book.
It ranks above Octagon by more than $300 million in commissions because that expansion added premium contracts in higher-paying team sports rather than fees from events and sponsorship servicing. Excel's growth curve is the steepest in the top five, which is why it has pulled clear of the firms just behind it.
HQ: New York · Max commissions: ~$783M · 3-year growth: ~57% · Focus: golf, basketball, baseball
- Marketing muscle
Octagon
Octagon anchors the field in Olympic-sport and tennis representation, with about $463 million in estimated commissions. What separates it from a pure talent shop is a large sports-marketing and events arm that runs sponsorship programs and properties for brands, not just athletes.
It ranks below Excel because its athlete-contract book is smaller and skews toward sports with lower ceiling salaries than the NBA or MLB. But that marketing-services business gives Octagon a second revenue engine most rivals on this list don't operate at the same scale, which steadies it well outside the reach of newer agencies below.
HQ: Stamford, CT · Max commissions: ~$463M · Focus: Olympic sports, tennis, athlete + brand marketing
- Breakout
Klutch Sports Group
Klutch, founded by Rich Paul, is the newest name in the top five, entering at roughly $351 million in estimated commissions on more than $7 billion in total athlete deals across the NBA, NFL, MLB and soccer. Paul built it around basketball — he represents LeBron James — before broadening the roster.
It sits fifth rather than higher because its commission base is still the smallest of the leaders, but it has the industry's clearest growth path: Klutch is now part of United Talent Agency, with Paul an agency partner and board member, and UTA's 2024 purchase of the soccer agency ROOF anchors Klutch Global Football across Europe's "Big Five" leagues. LeBron's earnings sit atop most highest-paid NBA players lists.
HQ: Los Angeles · Max commissions: ~$351M · Total deals: $7B+ · Owner: part of UTA · Founder: Rich Paul
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- CAA (Creative Artists Agency)
- Wasserman
- Excel Sports Management
- Octagon
- Klutch Sports Group
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Behind almost every big-money transfer, draft contract, or endorsement, a sports agency did the negotiating — and most fans never hear its name. As of 2025, Forbes ranks Creative Artists Agency the most valuable sports agency, ahead of Wasserman, Excel Sports Management, Octagon, and Klutch Sports Group. The cards above rank those five by earning power; the sections below explain how the ranking is built and how the business actually works.
How we ranked them
We follow Forbes’ method: estimated maximum commissions — the fees each firm could collect across every playing and non-playing contract it manages. Two things drive that number. First, roster size: more clients means more contracts to earn on. Second, deal value: a single $700 million baseball contract generates more commission than dozens of minimum deals. Union rules cap playing-contract fees (the NFLPA at 3%, the NBPA at 4%), so agencies chase higher-margin endorsement and marketing work to lift the total. The figures are estimates of earning power, not audited revenue, and they shift each year as contracts expire and new ones are signed.
What a sports agency actually does
A leading agency is a full-service business, not a single agent working a phone:
- Contract negotiation — playing deals with clubs, franchises, or federations
- Endorsements and marketing — connecting athletes with brands and running NIL programs
- Media and PR — managing public image and press relationships
- Financial planning — budgeting, investment, and long-term wealth management
- Legal counsel — contracts, disputes, and intellectual property
- Career transition — post-playing planning and personal-brand development
The firms at the top pair sport-specific negotiating leverage with a marketing arm that can turn on-field results into eight-figure commercial deals — the same money machine that decides the richest sports in the world.
At a glance: the 2025 top five
| Rank | Agency | Headquarters | Max commissions (2025) | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAA | Los Angeles, USA | ~$1.14 billion | NFL, NBA, MLB, soccer, marketing |
| 2 | Wasserman | Los Angeles, USA | ~$956 million | Soccer, baseball, hockey, Olympic sports |
| 3 | Excel Sports Management | New York, USA | ~$783 million | Golf, basketball, baseball |
| 4 | Octagon | Stamford, USA | ~$463 million | Olympic sports, tennis, marketing |
| 5 | Klutch Sports Group | Los Angeles, USA | ~$351 million | NBA, NFL, MLB, soccer |
Figures are Forbes’ 2025 estimates and move year to year as contracts turn over.
The industry in 2025-2026
Forbes’ latest data points to a “rich get richer” era. The top 10 North American agencies generate up to $4.61 billion in commissions on more than $72 billion in active contracts, and the top 20 individual agents manage over $32 billion in deals. Rising NIL values and climbing league salary caps have pushed both contract figures and commissions to record highs.
Two shifts stand out. Consolidation is the first: talent conglomerates keep absorbing sports agencies, as United Talent Agency did with Klutch and its 2024 purchase of soccer firm ROOF, while WME Sports dropped off the ranking after divesting its football and basketball units. Star individual agents are the second. Forbes named baseball’s Scott Boras the most powerful agent in North American team sports for 2025, with up to $244 million in commissions on an estimated $4.89 billion in active contracts.
How athletes choose an agency
Elite athletes weigh several factors before signing:
- Track record in their sport — relevant contract and negotiation expertise
- Existing relationships with clubs, brands, and broadcasters
- The individual agent assigned — personal chemistry matters
- Commercial reach — the quality of the endorsement network
- Conflicts of interest — whether the firm also represents rivals
The regulatory landscape
Representation isn’t policed the same way everywhere. In football, FIFA reintroduced a licensing system for agents, requiring an exam and compliance rules, though parts of it have faced legal challenges in Europe. In North America, players’ unions such as the NFLPA, NBPA, and MLBPA certify their own agents and cap commissions. Markets with weak oversight carry real risk for athletes — one reason established firms with compliance infrastructure keep winning the top-tier clients.
Frequently asked questions
How does Forbes calculate a sports agency's value?+
Forbes ranks agencies by estimated maximum commissions — the total fees a firm could collect across every playing and non-playing contract it manages. Playing-contract commissions are capped by league unions, while endorsement and marketing deals carry higher rates, so the figure blends roster size with deal value. It is an estimate of earning power, not audited revenue, which is why the numbers shift each year as contracts turn over.
Why are almost all the top agencies based in the United States?+
Forbes measures value by commissions, and the richest playing contracts sit in North American leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB, where salaries run highest. That pulls the most valuable full-service firms toward US headquarters. Football (soccer) representation is far more global and generates enormous fees in Europe, but it is split among many national markets and agents, so no single soccer-first agency tops this particular commission-based ranking.
What happened to WME Sports in the 2025 ranking?+
WME Sports, once a fixture near the top, was left out of Forbes' 2025 list after divesting its American football and basketball divisions. Removing those high-value team-sport contracts stripped out much of the commission base the ranking measures. Its exit is part of a wider reshuffle in which talent conglomerates keep buying, selling and folding sports units, changing which firms qualify from one year to the next.
Is Klutch Sports independent or owned by a larger company?+
Klutch is no longer fully independent. It operates as part of United Talent Agency, one of Hollywood's major talent conglomerates, with founder Rich Paul serving as an agency partner and board member rather than sole owner. UTA's backing funded expansion, including the 2024 acquisition of soccer agency ROOF that now anchors Klutch Global Football across Europe's top five leagues, giving the firm reach it could not have built alone.
Do these agencies represent college athletes and NIL deals?+
Yes. Since college athletes became able to earn from their name, image and likeness, major agencies have built NIL divisions to sign prospects early and manage their commercial deals before they turn pro. It doubles as a recruiting pipeline: a firm that handles a standout's college endorsements is well positioned to keep them once a playing contract arrives. NIL values have risen sharply, making the space commercially serious, not a sideline.
How much of the market do the biggest agencies control?+
Representation is heavily concentrated at the top. Forbes estimates the ten largest North American agencies generate up to $4.61 billion in commissions on more than $72 billion in active contracts, and the top 20 individual agents manage over $32 billion in deals. Private-equity money and talent-agency consolidation keep widening the gap between the leaders and everyone else, an effect Forbes describes as a rich-get-richer era in the business.
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