Wasserman acquires BSE Media Group
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Global sports, music, and entertainment agency Wasserman has acquired BSE Media Group and hired BSE founder Oscar Morilla as Senior Vice President, Talent Marketing and Partnerships, EMEA, announced today by Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Talent Jason Ranne. BSE will rebrand as Wasserman effective immediately.
Morilla and his staff will join Wasserman’s sports talent division, where they will continue to represent their existing clients while also expanding their talent sales, marketing, social media, and branding service offerings to all Wasserman agents and clients in EMEA. Morilla and his staff will continue to work in Madrid.
“Oscar built BSE into a powerhouse marketing and branding agency for many top sports figures in Spain, and his experience will strengthen our ability to service our clients in Europe across football, basketball, golf, hockey, action sports, Olympic, and Paralympic sports,” said Ranne.
“From the beginning of conversations with Wasserman, we felt very aligned on our approach to talent management,” said Morilla. “For the BSE team, this acquisition is the result of a job well done over the years with talent, brands, and media. Commitment and service have been our hallmarks since the beginning of the company, and that will endure and expand by joining Wasserman. On a personal level, it is an important step to have closed the sale of BSE to a world leading group such as Wasserman, and to be able to contribute my knowledge, enthusiasm, and work in the coming years, leading our talent marketing efforts in Spain and the EMEA markets.”
Morilla founded BSE in 2012 after experience in the video game industry, first at Vivendi Universal and then at EA Games, including working on projects and activations related to FIFA, NBA 2K, and other non-sports projects. This experience also included working with international sporting superstars in global football and basketball, and led to Morilla working personally with talent to manage their marketing endeavors.
BSE has consistently expanded its client list outside of global football to a number of elite talent verticals, including Olympic and Paralympic champions, action sports athletes, influencers, chefs, and TV hosts, as well as global brands in finance, automotive, healthcare, and utilities, among others. BSE provides services across sporting event activations, social media management and strategy, advertising campaigns, conference planning, and other services.
Throughout its 20-year history, Wasserman has deliberately and strategically grown its worldwide presence through both targeted acquisitions and organic growth, establishing itself as one of the world’s leading companies in the areas of sports and music talent representation, and brands and properties consultancy.
This acquisition continues Wasserman’s efforts to expand their sport and service offerings in 2022, following the acquisition of leading baseball agency Jet Sports Management in July, the acquisition of Esportif and the launch of ‘Wasserman Rugby’ in June, as well as the acquisition of Mullhaupt Management the same month that added a number of top women’s and men’s golfers to Wasserman’s golf division. Earlier this year, Wasserman Music acquired Paradigm’s U.K. live music representation business, expanding its global client roster and European footprint, and in January, leading sports media, broadcast, and consulting agency The Montag Group was acquired, immediately making Wasserman a major player in the sports media realm and bolstering the post-career services offering to all clients.
