The Wasserman Agency, which is in the process of being sold following its founder Casey Wasserman’s presence in the Epstein files, has announced a new name: The Team.
Yes, The Team. This mirrors the agency’s “TeamWass” email practices, but the question may initially arise: “Who’s first?” Communication issues (“This is team X!” “Which team are you on?” “It’s team!”)
The company’s website states: “Starting today, Wasserman is rebranding as THE・TEAM and you can now find us on the.team.
“For 24 years, this company has been shaped by our work, our people and our unified belief in the power of sports, music and entertainment.
“That philosophy remains the foundation of who we are and where we are going. As always, we will move forward together.”
Representatives then sent a follow-up message to media outlets, pointing out that the dot between the two words is part of the title (“THE TEAM”), although it seems unreasonable for the punctuation mark to be widely adopted.
The name change is the first concrete move from the company’s namesake, which last month agreed to sell the company, one of the industry’s largest sports and music agencies. The music division was thrown into turmoil after the Epstein revelations led to the departure of several artists, including Chappell Roan and Laufey, but people familiar with the matter say things have calmed down within the division as executives (almost all of whom are bound by contracts) and many artists (who are not bound by contracts) are taking a wait-and-see approach until the name change and sale proceed.
Although the name change happened quickly, a sale can take several months under the best of circumstances. Both CAA and UTA are said to be considering a wholesale acquisition of Wasserman Music, with some sources saying they’re only considering acquiring music, but neither appears to be on the cards at this point. A sale to a private equity firm or individual is a more realistic scenario, people familiar with the matter said.
