The deal
Entertainment 360 has acquired Brigade, the creative management firm built around digital talent, as the Los Angeles-based company pushes deeper into the creator economy. Financial terms were not disclosed. Brigade founder Max Stein becomes a partner at Entertainment 360 and brings his team and clients into the operation.
Brigade’s roster gives the combined company access to Substack writers, podcasters and influencers. Clients include fashion writer Leandra Medine Cohen, Feed Me newsletter writer Emily Sundberg, How Long Gone podcast hosts Chris Black and Jason Stewart, stylist Danielle Goldberg, writer and producer Karley Sciortino, TV personality Zanna Roberts Rassi and After School newsletter founder Casey Lewis.
Why it matters
The acquisition is less about star power than about the structure of modern talent representation. Entertainment 360 has traditionally operated in film and TV representation. By folding in a digital-native shop, it can now manage and monetise creators through brand deals, partnerships, publishing opportunities, podcasts and traditional media tie-ins.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, that changes the buying conversation. A Hollywood management company can now package access to a creator’s newsletter, podcast and social audience alongside more traditional entertainment talent. It is a sign that creator marketing is moving from tactical add-on to core client service.
The partners framed the move as a response to audience behaviour. In a statement, they said the ways audiences discover and engage with entertainment have changed and that Brigade represents the kind of “original, forward-thinking talent” Entertainment 360 has sought.
What to watch
- Creator firms with Substack, podcast and fashion rosters are becoming acquisition targets for legacy agencies.
- The combined shop will likely pursue multi-format brand deals rather than standalone sponsorships.
- Stein’s partner title suggests Brigade’s approach will have a seat at the management table, not be folded into a corporate division.
What to do
Treat this as a framework for planning creator campaigns. Instead of buying one-off posts from individual influencers, brief talent shops for full-funnel packages that use a creator’s newsletter for depth, podcast for attention and social for reach. Ask how the talent manager will preserve the creator’s voice while using a larger agency’s brand relationships.
The next indicator to watch is whether other legacy management companies follow with their own creator-economy acquisitions. If they do, the value of specialised creator firms may reset quickly.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
