UTA Expands Into Live Speaking Arena With Greater Talent Network Acquisition

UTA is expanding its reach into the realm of live speaking engagements with the acquisition of New York-based Greater Talent Network.

GTN is among the largest speakers bureaus in the country with a roster of clients that includes notables from business, politics, media, sports and entertainment: Billy Beane, Preet Bharara, Mark Burnett, Ed Davis, Louis Freeh, Dan Harris, Raymond Kelly, Michael Lewis, Marcus Luttrell, Ron Paul, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Ruffalo, Lesley Stahl, George Takei, Jeffrey Toobin, and Elizabeth Vargas.

UTA aims to use GTN’s expertise in the live speaking arena to develop opportunities for its film, TV, music and digital clients. GTN founder and CEO Don Epstein has joined UTA as a partner. The company will continue to operate from its existing New York and Florida offices.

“GTN has been a great company in this market for decades, and the synergies on both sides will create both unlimited and unparalleled opportunities for our clients,” said UTA co-president Jay Sures. “The power of GTN’s brand and its resources and capabilities adds another major dimension to UTA’s full-service model. Don Epstein and his entire team have done a tremendous job building a world-class company, and we’re proud to now join together.”

The acquisition comes on the heels of UTA’s promotion of Sures and David Kramer to co-presidents last week. UTA has been broadening its base during the last few years with the acquisitions of TV news-focused agency N.S. Bienstock in 2014 and the music-centric Agency Group in 2015.

GTN was founded in 1982 with P.J. O’Rourke and Tom Wolfe signing on as Epstein’s initial clients. Epstein said he’d been approached about buyouts many times but never felt the fit was right until now.

“We chose UTA for its unique hands-on approach to servicing artists, public figures, and content providers,” Epstein said. “Our clients will continue to experience the same level of service and expertise as they always have from GTN. But by becoming part of UTA, we will be able to vastly increase clients’ visibility and demand across all of these platforms.”

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