We have advised U1st Sports S.A. (You First), a leading European sports and entertainment talent representation agency, on its sale to The Gersh Agency (Gersh), a prominent Hollywood entertainment talent representation agency backed by Crestview Partners. As part of the transaction, You First’s management team has reinvested a significant portion of their proceeds into Gersh.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Madrid, You First has grown to become the largest independent sports and entertainment talent representation agency in Europe. With a team of over 325 professionals, You First maintains a global presence through 25 offices across Europe, North America, and South America.
You First represents elite athletes in the world’s top football leagues, including stars such as Fabián Ruíz, Gerard Moreno, Alexia Putellas, and Christoph Baumgartner. Ranked as the 8th largest football agency globally by market value of represented players in 2024, You First is a major player in the football representation industry.
In basketball representation, You First is the largest agency in Europe, with a strong presence in both the NBA and the EuroLeague. The agency represents high-profile players such as Desmond Bane, Jarrett Allen, Serge Ibaka, and Edy Tavares. The company also represents entertainment talent, from Olympians and celebrities to broadcasters, DJs, content creators, and gamers.
Beyond talent representation, You First provides a comprehensive service portfolio for brands, including marketing, content production, events management, and influencer marketing. For right holders, it offers data, insights and YouTube channel management. Additionally, You First creates original content for video and audio streaming platforms such as Netflix and Spotify.
The Gersh Agency, founded in 1949 by Phil Gersh, is a global powerhouse in entertainment talent representation and ranks as the fourth-largest agency worldwide. With a team of over 300 professionals, including 150 agents across nine full-service departments, Gersh operates from offices in Beverly Hills and New York. The agency represents more than 4,000 clients across the entertainment industry, from actors and directors to producers, writers, designers, editors, and influencers. Gersh’s clients regularly achieve recognition at prestigious award ceremonies such as the Golden Globes and Oscars. This year, the agency represented four Oscar nominees and 38 Emmy nominees.
Crestview Partners is a New York-based private equity firm specialising in mid-market investments in media, financial services, and industrial sectors. Crestview Partners manages funds with over $10bn in capital commitments.
This acquisition marks a significant milestone for both companies. Gersh will leverage You First’s strong European presence and its expertise in sports representation to enter a new market segment. Simultaneously, You First’s clients will gain access to Gersh’s Hollywood infrastructure, unlocking opportunities to expand their personal brands beyond sports and into the global entertainment markets.
