Who Owns WME?

WME's history traces to 1898 when William Morris, a German immigrant who had worked as a theatrical booking agent, founded the William Morris Agency in New York City. Morris established the agency at a time when the entertainment industry was centered on vaudeville and theatrical performance, and the agency quickly became one of the most important booking and representation businesses in American entertainment.

The William Morris Agency grew through the early 20th century as the entertainment industry expanded from vaudeville into film, radio, and eventually television. The agency developed a reputation for representing some of the most prominent entertainers in American culture, including Charlie Chaplin, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and numerous other major stars. The agency's ability to represent talent across multiple entertainment formats, from live performance to film to television, made it one of the most powerful forces in the American entertainment industry.

Through the mid-20th century, the William Morris Agency competed primarily with the Music Corporation of America (MCA) and later with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which was founded in 1975 by agents who had left the William Morris Agency. The founding of CAA by former William Morris agents was a significant moment in the talent agency industry, as CAA quickly grew to become one of the most powerful agencies in Hollywood, challenging William Morris's dominance.

The William Morris Agency continued to operate as one of the major Hollywood talent agencies through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, representing talent across film, television, music, and other entertainment sectors. However, the agency faced increasing competition from CAA, International Creative Management (ICM), and other agencies, and its market position relative to its peak was somewhat diminished.

In 1995, a group of agents who had left ICM founded a new talent agency called Endeavor in Beverly Hills. The founding partners included Ari Emanuel, who became the agency's most prominent figure and one of the most influential people in the entertainment industry. Endeavor grew rapidly through the late 1990s and 2000s, developing a reputation for aggressive deal-making and a client roster that included some of the most commercially successful talent in Hollywood.

In 2009, the William Morris Agency and Endeavor merged to form William Morris Endeavor, known as WME. The merger combined two of the major Hollywood talent agencies into a single entity with a significantly expanded client roster and deal-making capabilities. The merged agency was co-led by Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, who became the co-CEOs of the combined company.

In 2012, WME acquired IMG, a sports and media company that represented athletes, managed sports events, and operated media businesses. The acquisition of IMG transformed WME from a talent agency into a diversified sports and entertainment company, providing capabilities in sports representation, event management, and media rights that went far beyond traditional talent agency operations. The combined company was known as WME-IMG.

In 2016, WME-IMG acquired Zuffa, the parent company of UFC, for approximately $4 billion, further expanding the company's sports portfolio. In 2017, the company rebranded as Endeavor Group Holdings, with WME continuing as the talent representation division within the broader Endeavor corporate structure.

Endeavor completed its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in April 2021, trading under the ticker symbol EDR. Silver Lake Partners, a major investor in Endeavor, led a take-private transaction in March 2025, returning Endeavor to private ownership. WME continues to operate as the talent representation division of Endeavor following the take-private.