EXCLUSIVE: Brillstein Entertainment Partners is exploring a sale of its venerable management/production company. Several are circling, but sources said Casey Wasserman has emerged as a front-runner to bring BEP into the fold alongside his formidable sports and music divisions.
Like every possible deal, this one could fall apart and BEP principals could decide to stay independent. It would be the latest move in management after 3Arts made a deal with Lionsgate, and Anonymous Content, with investment from Laurene Powell Jobs, recently linked with Automatik.
If this did happen, it would invoke the legacy and memory of some storied Hollywood figures. Start with Wasserman, the grandson of Hollywood legend Lew Wasserman. He has always resisted the urge to get into mainstream Hollywood, and instead built a formidable management business specializing in sports and music, the latter most recently including the acquisition of Paradigm’s lucrative music touring businesses. His company just made a strategic investment deal with Providence Equity Partners for growth initiatives.
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Brillstein Entertainment Partners was hatched by management legend Bernie Brillstein and bolstered through his partnership with Brad Grey before the latter took the reins at Paramount. BEP is a powerhouse management production company that counts among its clients Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner’s Plan B, Bill Maher, Oscar nominee Brendan Fraser, Florence Pugh, Yellowstone‘s Cole Hauser and Adam Sandler among others,
Longtime TV clients of the management company include Kaley Cuoco, Rob Lowe and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Known for producing The Sopranos through Brad Grey Television, BEP’s recent producing credits include Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers and Apple TV+’s Central Park. The company has been ramping up its efforts in TV development/production through Brillstein Content Partners and recently tapped former Netflix and Made Up Stories executive Allie Goss to run it.
Also intriguing is the idea of a Wasserman emerging in mainstream entertainment as the upcoming Writers Guild talks heat up. Wasserman spearheaded the successful effort to bring the 2028 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles.
Wasserman’s spokesperson declined comment and same with BEP. Stay tuned.