UTA Acquires a Data and Analytics Firm

Mergers and acquisitions have been a major focus for talent agencies over the last few years. This week we see UTA announce that it has acquired Mediahound, a data and analytics firm trying to compete in Nielsen’s home arena. It’s an interesting choice, presented as a way to give them the strategic advantage in negotiations with studios and networks alike. Brandon Blake, the entertainment lawyer with Blake & Wang P.A, examines the announcement.


                                                       Brandon Blake

Result of Pre-Covid Talks

The acquisition stems from a project between UTA and Mediahound that ground to a halt once COVID shutdowns hit the industry, according to UTA partner (and head of UTA IQ), Joe Kessler. The Mediahound developers and engineers will be joining the UTA IQ division. Perhaps fitting, given that UTA has had a small stake in the company for years after a seed investment made through the USC accelerator program.

 

Data is pretty critical in the agency industry, after all, being a lynchpin in how representation and other business lines make the strategic decisions needed to flourish. With Nielsen under fire for lagging technology and Box Office receipts no longer as critical as they once were in the industry, it’s not surprising to see an agency decide to bring their data farming in-house. 

Comprehensive Data and Deeper Insights

The idea of data platforms for in-house use in talent agencies is rather a new one, and there’s not all that much demand for third-party products focusing on those concerns. So they intend to leverage Mediahound’s existing IP- namely a product called The Entertainment Graph- to bring more comprehensive data into the stable. This should leave them better placed to accurately gauge the impact their client’s work is having on the marketplace.

 

UTA has been pretty opportunistic in the M&A field before, and this acquisition could, indeed, build them quite a strategic advantage over other agencies. Will we see further moves into this space from the other large agencies? It will be interesting to see what shifts this new acquisition creates in the talent agency landscape.

 

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