Courtesy of Daniel Prakopcyk
From left: Select partners Adam Wescott, Scott Fisher and Lisa Filipelli
Two of Hollywood's management firms are teaming up.
Artists First has acquired a minority stake in Select Management Group as part of a larger strategic partnership between the two companies.
Through the deal, 20-year-old Artists First (formerly Principato-Young Entertainment) will be able to tap into Select's digital expertise while supporting the expansion of the younger firm's film and television business.
"Artists First is excited to align with the smart, creative and energetic team at Select, whose skills and relationships have put it at the cutting edge of digital talent management," Artists First CEO Peter Principato said Wednesday in a statement. "This partnership will offer our clients a new avenue to develop their voices in the digital realm as well as a pipeline to a growing pool of emerging online stars."
Select's partners Lisa Filipelli, Scott Fisher, Amy Neben and Adam Wescott issued a joint statement in support of the deal with Artists First, noting, "Their expertise and experience will help supercharge the growth of our business as we continue to bridge the gap between traditional and digital entertainment.”
Select works with digital-first talent including Gigi Gorgeous, Tyler Oakley, Amanda Steele and Mindy McKnight. In addition to artist management, it also works with clients on content production and helps them with business ventures including consumer products. As the company focuses on bridging the gap between traditional and digital media and developing more film and TV opportunities for its clients, it will be able to lean on the expertise that Artists First has established in the production space.
Artists First, which has been majority-owned by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens' Propagate since 2018, currently produces such projects as ABC's Black-ish and the Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne feature Limited Partners. Its clients include Haddish, Jordan Peele, Will Arnett, Awkwafina and Kate McKinnon.
Drew Buckley of Propagate's Electus and Kelly Fancher of Propagate negotiated the deal on behalf of Artists First. They were repped by Hanson Jacobson, Eisner and The Raine Group. Select was repped by Bryan Bowls and Ron Milkes of Bryor Media Partners, Rob Levy of Columbia Capital Securities and Steve Hurdle of Loeb & Loeb.