Podcasters, newsletter writers and content creators are building mouthwatering audiences in today’s entertainment ecosystem — and Hollywood is taking note.
The talent management company Entertainment 360 announced today that it would acquire Brigade, a firm representing some of the most influential new-media tastemakers. The deal will bring Brigade clients including the Substack writers Leandra Medine Cohen and Emily Sundberg under the same umbrella as Hollywood superstars like Margot Robbie and Julianne Moore.
Max Steinwho founded Brigade in 2015, will join Entertainment 360 as a partner. Many of his clients command significant followings in the fashion world, including the celebrity stylist Danielle Goldberg and Chris Blacka creative consultant for clothing brands and a host of the podcast “How Long Gone.”
Entertainment 360 and Brigade declined to disclose the value of the deal, which Stein informed his clients of on Tuesday.
The acquisition is the latest example of entertainment and media institutions marshaling resources toward digital talent. Hollywood talent behemoths like Creative Artists Agency are signing YouTube stars. Broadcast TV personalities are emulating the tactics of livestreamers. This weekend, the comedian Druski introduced himself as the “first internet content creator” to host “Saturday Night Live” — a show whose cast is now stacked with comedians who got their start on TikTok.
“These worlds have collapsed a bit on each other,” said Darin Friedman, a partner at Entertainment 360. “YouTube is competing with Netflix, and Netflix is buying podcasts, and Disney is wanting to set meetings with comedians who want to develop TV shows.”
Source: www.nytimes.com
