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Casey Wasserman

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Casey Wasserman
Wasserman in 2025
President of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 11, 2024
LeaderThomas Bach
Kirsty Coventry
Preceded byTony Estanguet
(Paris 2024)
Succeeded byAndrew Liveris
(Brisbane 2032)
Chair of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 31, 2017
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
BornCasey Myers
(1974-06-28) June 28, 1974 (age 51)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseLaura Ziffren (divorced)
RelativesLew Wasserman (maternal grandfather)
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
OccupationBusinessman, philanthropist

Casey Wasserman (né Myers; June 28, 1974) is an American entertainment executive and sports agent. He is the founder and CEO of Wasserman, a sports marketing and talent agency. He is chairman of the 2028 LA Olympics organizing committee.

Early life and education

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Wasserman is the son of the Los Angeles socialite and philanthropist Lynne Wasserman and Jack Myers (formerly Meyerowitz), and the grandson of Lew Wasserman.[1] He has used the surname Wasserman since he was 18.[2]

He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2000 with a BA in political science.[3]

Career

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Arena Football

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In 1998, Wasserman purchased the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League (AFL). He paid about $5 million for the franchise rights. Despite his youth, he was elected chairman of the league. In 2002 he negotiated a groundbreaking national television partnership between the league and NBC television, as well as the collective bargaining agreement with its players. On Saturday, April 18, 2009, Wasserman sent an email to AFL's de facto commissioner informing him of his decision to terminate the L.A. Avengers' membership in the Arena Football League.[4]

Wasserman (Agency)

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The same year that he purchased the football team, Casey Wasserman started Wasserman (then-called Wasserman Media Group), a sports marketing and talent management company, of which he remains CEO.

In 2002, WMG acquired the sports marketing and naming-rights company Envision and the action sports marketing and representation firm The Familie, based in Carlsbad, California.

In 2004, WMG purchased 411 Productions and a few months later relaunched it as Studio 411, a sports entertainment film studio. The business was designed to provide financing, obtain sponsorships and arrange distribution in support of original productions.[5] The company also made an unsuccessful bid to sign up enough athletes in BMX, skateboarding and freestyle motocross to form PGA-like sanctioning bodies in those sports.[6]

In January 2006, WMG acquired the NBA and MLB sports agent business of Arn Tellem, a well-known sports agent who joined WMG as well. Several of Tellem's sports agent colleagues also joined the company as part of the deal.[7] Until he retired in June, 2015, Tellem was a principal at the company and ran one of its management groups.[8]

In November 2006, the company acquired soccer agency, SFX, in the UK.[9] Through that acquisition, WMG came to represent such players as Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, Tim Cahill, Jonathan Woodgate, Wes Brown, Scott Parker, Jack Wilshere, Park Ji-Sung, Shay Given, Tim Howard and Emile Heskey.

In June 2007, WMG expanded its consulting and media and property capabilities by purchasing Raleigh, North Carolina–based OnSport.[10]

In early 2011, WMG bought London-based media rights manager and advisory firm Reel Enterprises.[11]

That year WMG expanded its golf talent roster by acquiring SFX Golf in April 2011.[12]

In 2016, Wasserman Media Group rebranded as Wasserman and is frequently referred to as "Team Wass".[13] In 2021, he acquired Paradigm Agency's music business.[14] In 2023, Wasserman bought the management production company, Brillstein Entertainment Partners.[15]

LA 2028 Olympic Organizing Committee

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In 2015, the USOC selected Los Angeles as the American applicant for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Wasserman successfully led Los Angeles' 2017 bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics. He heads the city's Olympic organizing committee.[16]

Anti-racism and the International Olympic Committee

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On June 19, 2020, Wasserman reportedly wrote the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to advocate for changes to be made to the controversial Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter which states: "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."[17] In the letter, Wasserman urged the IOC to amend the guidelines that support Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter to allow anti-racist advocacy on the Olympic stage and stated "Being anti-racist is not political."[18][19]

President Bach refuted the suggestion in an op-ed for The Guardian titled "The Olympics are about diversity and unity, not politics and profit. Boycotts don't work, and athletes should be politically neutral."[20][21]

Political activities

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Wasserman has historically donated to Democratic political, but had by 2025 increasingly sought to ingratiate himself with the conservative right in the United States. Wasserman donated to some Republican candidates prior to the 2026 elections and organized a fundraiser for Senator Susan Collins, a Republican.[22] He co-chaired a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016.[23]

Controversy

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John Schnatter Lawsuit

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In December 2019, Papa John's founder John Schnatter filed a lawsuit against Wasserman's advertising agency, Laundry Service, and its parent company, Wasserman Media Group.[24] The legal action stemmed from a May 2018 conference call organized by Laundry Service for media training with Schnatter, which the agency recorded.[25] Following the publication of the call's contents by Forbes, Schnatter resigned as chairman of the company.[25]

Schnatter's complaint alleges that Laundry Service intentionally leaked an out-of-context and damaging version of the recorded call to Forbes in an act of retaliation following a dispute over a $6 million payment.[24] The lawsuit further claims that Casey Wasserman personally told Papa John's then-CEO, Steve Ritchie, that he would "bury the founder" if the agency was not paid.[26] The suit accuses Wasserman's companies of breach of contract and tortious interference with Schnatter's business relationships.[27] In September 2022, a federal district court denied a motion to dismiss from Wasserman Media, which allowed the lawsuit to proceed.[28]

Personal life

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Wasserman refers to his grandfather as his teacher. The two would have breakfast together every Saturday and Sunday from the time he was a child until his grandfather's death in 2002.[29] Wasserman said, "He was my most valuable resource in terms of information. In broad terms he knew what he wanted to do and I followed in his footsteps."[30]

He is divorced from music supervisor Laura Ziffren Wasserman,[31] whose grandfather Paul Ziffren was a Democratic Party leader and chair of the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics Organizing Committee.[32][33][34][35] They have two children.[36]

In September 2025, Wasserman joined a search committee led by UCLA Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond to assist with identifying their next head football coach.[37]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Dagan, Carmel (August 19, 2011). "Edie Wasserman dies at 95". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  2. ^ Barnes, Brooks (July 6, 2013). "A Sports Agent With Hollywood in His Blood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  3. ^ Wharton, David (December 4, 2015). "Great Read: Casey Wasserman carries the torch to bring Olympics to L.A. in 2024". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  4. ^ Farmer, Sam (April 20, 2009). "Avengers to fold Arena Football League franchise". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ O'Brein, Sean (May 22, 2006). "Wasserman Launches Studio411 - Transworld Business Magazine". Transworld Business. Archived from the original on May 22, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ Lidz, Franz. "Extreme Dream Casey Wasserman, grandson of a legendary movie mogul, has become a force in action sports". SI.com.
  7. ^ "Wasserman Acquires Tellem Business; SFX Promotes Pelinka". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com.
  8. ^ Tellem, Arn. "Arn Tellem: Why I'm making the jump from sports agent to NBA front office". SI.com.
  9. ^ "Wasserman Media Group Acquires SFX Sports Group". www.prnewswire.co.uk. Wasserman Media Group.
  10. ^ "Wasserman Media Group Acquiring Gary Stevenson's OnSport". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com.
  11. ^ "US based Wasserman Media Group acquires the UK's rights manager and advisory firm Reel Enterprises". www.investinuk.net.
  12. ^ "Wasserman growth continues with SFX Golf purchase". April 12, 2011.
  13. ^ "Wasserman undergoes rebrand to reflect its evolution from just sports".
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ [2]
  16. ^ "IOC makes historic decision by simultaneously awarding Olympic Games 2024 to Paris and 2028 to Los Angeles". International Olympic Committee. September 13, 2017. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  17. ^ Soshnick, Scott (July 31, 2020). "L.A. Olympic Chair Wasserman Asks IOC President to Repeal Rule That Bars Advocacy". Sportico. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  18. ^ Wharton, David (July 31, 2020). "L.A. Olympic officials ask IOC to allow athlete protests". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  19. ^ Iveson, Ali (August 1, 2020). "Los Angeles 2028 chief Wasserman joins calls for Rule 50 to be amended". Inside the Games. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  20. ^ Bruton, Michelle. "IOC President Thomas Bach: Olympics 'Are Not About Politics,' Athletes Should Be Politically Neutral At Games". Forbes. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  21. ^ Bach, Thomas (October 23, 2020). "The Olympics are about unity and diversity, not politics and profit. Boycotts don't work | Thomas Bach". the Guardian. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  22. ^ "Susan Collins to Get Hollywood Treatment at Fund-Raiser Featuring Democrats". New York Times. August 20, 2025.
  23. ^ "Hillary Clinton Fundraisers Coming to Beverly Hills". The Beverly Hills Courier. August 3, 2016. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  24. ^ a b "John Schnatter sues agency over his ouster from Papa John's". Restaurant Business Online. December 5, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  25. ^ a b "Papa John's Founder John Schnatter Allegedly Used N-Word On Conference Call". Forbes. July 11, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  26. ^ "Papa John's Former CEO Schnatter Sues Ad Agency for Leaking Phone Call". PMQ Pizza Magazine. December 9, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  27. ^ "Papa John's Founder Sues Agency Over Secretly Taped Conversation". MediaPost. December 6, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  28. ^ "Papa John Schnatter Wins Major Ruling, Lawsuit Against Ad Firm to Proceed". PR Newswire. September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  29. ^ Mullen, Liz (November 10, 2003). "Casey Wasserman". Sports Business Journal. Leaders Group.
  30. ^ "Casey Wasserman's L.A. story goes far beyond 2024 Olympic bid". Los Angeles Business Journal.
  31. ^ Gardner, Chris. "Casey Wasserman Slams Daily Mail for Reporting Claims About Personal Life: "Consider the Source"". Hollywood Reporter.
  32. ^ "Laura Ziffren". IMDb.
  33. ^ Johnson, Ted (October 13, 2016). "Hillary Clinton's Final L.A. Campaign Fundraiser Will Be at Site Steeped in Hollywood-D.C. History". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  34. ^ Johnson, Ted; Patten, Dominic (September 5, 2020). "Kamala Harris' Big Hollywood Virtual Fundraiser Rakes In Big Big Bucks; Ryan Murphy, Dana Walden, Chrisette Hudlin, & Laura Shell Organized, Katzenberg & JJ Abrams Co-Hosted". Deadline. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  35. ^ Reich, Kenneth (June 2, 1991). "Paul Ziffren, Democratic Power in State, Dies at 77 : Politics: He was credited with rebuilding the party in the '50s. He also was board chairman for '84 Olympics". Los Angeles Times.
  36. ^ "Laura Wasserman: From Hollywood to High Point Leaving a Los Angeles Legacy". Sidelines Magazine. June 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  37. ^ Bolch, Ben (September 25, 2025). "UCLA reveals football coach search committee steeped with pro sports experience". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
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