Jon Jones’ agent, Malki Kawa, has joined forces with a sports management agency to form Authentic Sports Management. The agency will have offices in New York, Los Angeles and South Florida.
Via Authentic Sports Management press release:
Entrepreneur and business owner Glenn Robinson and entertainment manager Jon Rubinstein announce the establishment of Authentic Sports Management (ASM) company and the merger of ASM with longtime Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) manager Malki Kawa’s First Round Management. The merger forges a team with vast experience in MMA and sports and entertainment management, endorsements and sponsorships, brand building, marketing and public relations to create a unique full service firm. ASM offers unparalleled representation that will set a new standard in the MMA sport.
Payout Perspective:
The press release indicates that Robinson began a sports agency in late 2010 but it does not indicate whether he had experience in representing mixed martial artists. Rubinstein owns an entertainment agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. As we know, Kawahas a stable of MMA stars including Jones. The alliance combines Robinson’s marketing experience, Rubinstein’s mainstream entertainment knowledge and Kawa’s MMA clientele. One might see this as an acquisition of Kawa’s stable so ASM can get its foot in the door of MMA.
With the recent ousting of manager Shari Spencer by GSP and Frankie Edgar, this new merger of fighter services will be interesting. It appears that the move is an attempt to bolster the visibility of MMA fighters with the goal of getting fighters (namely, Jon Jones), mainstream sponsorships. We will see how Rubinstein can leverage his entertainment business knowledge into opportunities for mixed martial artists. Also, how receptive will mainstream sponsors be of fighters. After GSP, maybe Jon Jones (provided he wins in March) can crossover. But, will there be enough appeal for others?
In my opinion, the merger of entertainment and sports management could prove to be very profitable and promising for the athletes. A strong push of MMA fighters into the entertainment industry spot light will help accelerate the growth and popularity of the sport. Keep in mind that C.A.A. is a prominent entertainment and sports agency. With the right strategy, Authentic Sports Management may find itself rubbing elbows with the best and brightest agencies that represent top talent.