ICM Partners Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

ICM Partners was acquired by Creative Artists Agency for $750M in September 2021.

ICM Partners acquisition price

$750M

Acquired by Creative Artists Agency · Sep 2021

Cumulative funding ICM Partners raised

$150M

across 1 funding round

Key investors in ICM Partners

  • Crestview Partners

ICM Partners Overview

About ICM Partners

ICM Partners is a global talent representation agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and London. The firm manages careers in motion pictures, television series, music recording, book publishing, live theater, branded content, and digital streaming. Formed in 1975 from the merger of Creative Management Associates and International Famous Agency, it expanded via the 2006 acquisition of Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann and a 2012 management buyout. Creative Artists Agency acquired ICM Partners in 2022.


Founded

1975

HQ

United StatesLos Angeles, CA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Commission

Valuation

$450M (Dec 2019)

ICM Partners Acquisition

ICM Partners was acquired by Creative Artists Agency for $750M on 27 September 2021.

Before the acquisition ICM Partners had raised $150M across 1 funding round.

ICM Partners acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • Creative Artists Agency
27 Sep 2021Strategic M&A$750M

ICM Partners Valuation

ICM Partners is currently valued at $450M, based on its undisclosed-stage round in December 2019.

The $150M round was led by Crestview Partners.

ICM Partners valuation by funding round

ICM Partners valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Dec 2019Undisclosed stage$450M

ICM Partners Funding History

ICM Partners has raised a total of $150M across 1 funding round.

ICM Partners funding rounds

ICM Partners funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Dec 2019Undisclosed stageCrestview Partners (lead)$150M$450MICM Partners, a leading global talent agency representing clients in entertainment including music, TV, film, and digital media, sold a minority stake to Crestview Partners on December 16, 2019, to fund expansion. The deal involved Crestview investing approximately $150 million for about a one-third ownership stake according to contemporary reports, though a later analysis implies a $300 million valuation based on a ~50% stake equivalent. Funds were earmarked for acquiring other agencies, international growth particularly in Europe and the UK, recruiting top agents, and rewarding employees across all levels, while ICM's agent partnership retained majority control and operational leadership under CEO Chris Silbermann. This investment marked a shift for ICM, which had previously bought out private equity owner Rizvi Traverse in 2012 to maintain agent-led independence amid concerns over cash flow pressures. Crestview, a New York-based firm managing over $9 billion with a media focus, partnered to accelerate ICM's domestic and global strategy amid rising demand for content creators. Advisors included Lazard, Sheppard Mullin, and Latham & Watkins for ICM, and Davis Polk for Crestview. Under Crestview's involvement, ICM pursued growth including music and sports expansion and a 2020 UK agency acquisition, with EBITDA reportedly growing 2.5x before its 2021 sale to Creative Artists Agency (CAA) at a $750 million valuation, roughly doubling Crestview's return in two years.

Who has invested in ICM Partners?

1 investor has backed ICM Partners across its funding rounds, including Crestview Partners.

Lead investors include Crestview Partners.


ICM Partners Investors

Investors in ICM Partners by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 1 ICM Partners investors.

Start Free Trial

Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.

Start Free Trial

Acquisitions by ICM Partners

ICM Partners has acquired 4 companies to date.

Last acquisition by ICM Partners was on July 27th 2021. ICM Partners acquired Select Sports Group for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by ICM Partners

Select Sports Group
Stellar Group
Primary Talent
Royce Carlton
Description
Select Sports Group is a sports agency representing professional football players with offices in Houston, Texas, and nationwide across the United States. The firm manages NFL contracts, endorsements, marketing deals, and post-career transitions for clients, providing financial planning, legal support, and career development services throughout their professional lives.
Stellar Group is a Manchester-based multi-national sports management firm representing athletes in soccer, rugby, and boxing. It negotiates contracts worth over £200 million yearly and provides career advisory, endorsement deals, and media services. The agency manages talents playing in the Premier League and European competitions, with offices in London and Dubai.
Primary Talent is a London-based booking agency representing electronic music artists like Bonobo, Four Tet, and Peggy Gou. It handles tours and festivals worldwide, including Glastonbury and Coachella lineups. The roster spans 100 acts across house, techno, and drum & bass genres for promoters in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Royce Carlton is a New York-based speakers bureau representing 80 exclusive lecturers for corporate events, conferences, and keynotes. Its roster includes Nobel laureates, former heads of state, and business leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev and Arianna Huffington, booking engagements globally.
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited KingdomUnited KingdomUnited States
HQ City
Houston, TX
London
London
New York City, NY
Deal Date27 Jul 20218 Oct 202010 Mar 202024 Oct 2017
Valuationundisclosedundisclosedundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all ICM Partners acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples.

Start Free Trial

ICM Partners Competitors

ICM Partners competitors include listed companies like APG SGA, Entravision and Arabian Contracting Services, and private ones like Freechat, Hootsuite and Brunswick Group.

Public and private companies comparable to ICM Partners
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
APG SGASwitzerlandSwitzerlandPublicly listed$398M$52M$726M1.7x
EntravisionUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$448M($71M)$717M-
Arabian Contracting ServicesSaudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaPublicly listed$521M$353M$790M5.1x
FreechatHong KongHong KongPrivate$40M-$800M20.0x
HootsuiteCanadaVancouverPrivate--$800M-
Brunswick GroupUnited KingdomLondonPrivate--$692M-

ICM Partners Public Comps

ICM Partners is no longer listed, but its public comps include APG SGA, Entravision, Arabian Contracting Services, Plan B Media, FILA-Fabbrica Italiana, oOh media, Vector, Italian Exhibition Group, Innocean and INTAGE HOLDINGS.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
APG SGA$398M$52M1.8x1.7x13.3x12.3x
Entravision$448M($71M)1.9x-(11.8x)-
Arabian Contracting Services$521M$353M4.6x5.1x6.7x9.4x
Plan B Media$286M$66M3.4x3.2x14.7x7.2x
FILA-Fabbrica Italiana$659M$85M1.4x1.3x10.9x7.0x
oOh media$492M$212M2.9x2.8x6.7x14.4x
Vector$410M$67M1.3x1.2x7.9x7.5x
Italian Exhibition Group$307M$79M2.3x2.2x9.0x7.9x

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all ICM Partners competitors and their valuation data.

Start Free Trial

Common questions about ICM Partners

When was ICM Partners founded?ICM Partners was founded in 1975.
Where is ICM Partners headquartered?ICM Partners is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Is ICM Partners publicly listed?No, ICM Partners was acquired by Creative Artists Agency in September 2021.
Who acquired ICM Partners?ICM Partners was acquired by Creative Artists Agency in September 2021.
How much was ICM Partners acquired for?ICM Partners was acquired for $750M in September 2021.
What is ICM Partners' valuation?ICM Partners was last valued at $450M in its undisclosed-stage round in December 2019.
How much funding has ICM Partners raised?ICM Partners has raised $150M across 1 funding round.
What was ICM Partners' last funding round?ICM Partners' last funding round was a $150M undisclosed-stage round in December 2019, led by Crestview Partners.
Who are ICM Partners' investors?ICM Partners' investors include Crestview Partners.
Which companies are comparable to ICM Partners?Companies comparable to ICM Partners include APG SGA, Entravision, Arabian Contracting Services, Freechat, Hootsuite and Brunswick Group.
How many companies has ICM Partners acquired?ICM Partners has acquired 4 companies, including Select Sports Group, Stellar Group, Primary Talent and Royce Carlton.

See companies similar to ICM Partners

Start Your
Free Trial Today

Try Multiples for free for 3 days. Got questions or need a demo? Schedule a call with us below.

Start Trial