Veteran CAA agent Eric Wattenberg has joined Brent Montgomery’s media, marketing and investment company Wheelhouse Group as chief content officer.
Wattenberg (pictured) will work across the entire Wheelhouse group, including packaging long- and short-form TV and digital/streaming series, and advancing scripted and feature projects. He will additionally work with the industry’s major agencies and management companies to maximize opportunities for media and talent partnerships.
Meanwhile, he will focus on working with current Wheelhouse talent and creating a “first stop” for A-listers from the worlds of entertainment, sports and music to grow Wheelhouse’s roster of talent.
His remit will include the company’s talent and content arm, home to Jimmy Kimmel’s production and media label Kimmelot, premium film and TV company Campfire, live entertainment and production giant Den of Thieves, digital content studio Portal A, Spoke Studios, Wheelhouse Labs (the company’s in-house creative and branding agency) and the company’s growing business development and investment arm.
Wattenberg joined CAA in 2009, where he ran the agency’s alternative programming and packaging department. CAA sold programs including Lip Sync Battle, 90 Day Fiancé and Ink Master, among others, under his guidance.
He has represented highest-profile on-air talent including Kelly Ripa, Andy Cohen, Nick Cannon, Hoda Kotb, Neil Patrick Harris, Billy Porter, Dr. Oz, Jenna Bush Hager, Russell Wilson, Ciara and Ted Allen.
“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 Wheelhouse CEO Montgomery in a statement. “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.”
Added Wattenberg: “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.”