Longtime CAA agent Eric Wattenberg is set to leave the agency after ten years to join Wheelhouse Group.
Wattenberg, who was Co-Head of Alternative Television at CAA, becomes Chief Content Officer at Brent Montgomery’s media, marketing and investment company.
He will run all of the company’s entertainment endeavors, packaging long and short-form TV and streaming series, advancing scripted and feature projects and working across its talent and content arm.
The latter includes Kimmelot, Jimmy Kimmel’s production company, which produces ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience and Comedy Central’s Crank Yankers, Campfire, which produces Netflix’s The Innocent Man, Den of Thieves, Portal A and Spoke Studios.
He will also work with Wheelhouse Group’s media and talent partnerships including NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Star Trek’s Zachary Quinto as well as its investments including activewear firm Rhone, live outdoor rower Hydrow, culinary community Food52 and children’s media company Goldieblox.
At CAA, Wattenberg has represented talent including Kelly Ripa, Andy Cohen, Nick Cannon, Hoda Kotb, Neil Patrick Harris, Billy Porter, Dr. Oz, Jenna Bush Hager, Russell Wilson and Ciara and Ted Allen as well as production companies including Truly Original, Imagine Entertainment, Matador Content, Sharp Entertainment, Nick Cannon’s N’Credible and BBC Worldwide Productions.
Alan Braun remains Head of the Alternative TV group at CAA.
“Eric was in my first ever agency meeting and has been a colleague and friend ever since; he is one of the most respected agents in the history of unscripted and I’m thrilled, both professionally and personally, to be working with him now as my partner,” said Montgomery. “He joins us at an exciting and pivotal time, and represents a major step in building out our overall content business as we work to grow Wheelhouse Group into a home for five-star talent looking to match our ambition and momentum with the expansion of their own brands.”
Wattenberg added, “CAA is an incredible organization and I have been beyond blessed to work alongside some of the world’s top talent – not just on the client side, but within the walls of this remarkable agency that makes you want to be the very best – for your clients, for your partners, and for yourself. Brent’s vision for Wheelhouse Group as an aggregator of talent, content, brands and capital feels like a swing for the fences in the evolution of our business; it is a uniquely exciting, entrepreneurial prospect that I simply couldn’t pass up. I am incredibly grateful to my colleagues at CAA for the amazing opportunities and friendship they have offered me over 10 years, and I plan on continuing to work with them very closely in this new venture.”