UTA veteran Andrew Thau has been named co-head of UTA Sports alongside Rich Paul, the founder of agency Klutch Sports Group. The two executives have been working together since UTA made a big investment in Klutch in 2019.
UTA Sports was created nearly four years ago in anticipation for greater investment in sports while leveraging Klutch’s client sheet, which includes high-profile pro athletes such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Paul says appointing Thau was a “no-brainer” due to his rapport and complementary skill sets.
“We’re interchangeable in a lot of ways in terms of this initiative,” Paul, a UTA board member, said in a video interview. “You need that duo, that one-two punch, and more. It makes all the sense in the world.”
Thau emphasizes that bolstering the agency’s connectivity into sports is one of the biggest mandates for the company as it looks to build a competitive sports arm. UTA is taking a page from rivals CAA and WME by not only repping athletes but also providing them with offerings in other areas of entertainment like film and production.
Thau, who oversees the company’s corporate and legal affairs as chief operating officer, acknowledges he can’t spot athletic talent the way Paul can, but he believes he brings his own set of skills and experience to the table. He has been integral to UTA’s growth since he joined in 2007. As a UTA managing director, he has led the growth of the parent company through integrations and acquisitions of companies including Curtis Brown Group, MediaLink and MediaHound. The Banc of California board member helped bring private equity firm EQT into UTA as an investor last year. EQT, a notable partner as a previous investor in Sportradar, is the largest outside shareholder in UTA.
UTA will continue to pursue various M&A opportunities, Thau says, and plans to be aggressive in building its team. Last year UTA hired senior vice president Dan Shell, who last ran the college division at Oak View Group.
“There’s a huge opportunity in the sports world,” he said. “We’re ambitious and aspirational. It always has been critically important from the day we partnered with Rich, and this is just the next phase of the evolution of the plan.”
Paul, who recently launched sportswear apparel brand Klutch Athletics, enjoys having Thau nearby as he balances his duties with UTA while focusing on his other businesses.
“I can be doing something else and know that [the job] is going to be done at the level that we want it to be done,” said Paul, who is also on the board for Live Nation Entertainment. “[Thau’s new title] is more of a formality than anything.”
(Pictured: Andrew Thau)
