Global talent agency ICM Partners has acquired Primary Talent International, a London-based live music organizer that’s worked with an array of prominent artists.
As ICM Partners represents many well-known bands and musicians (in addition to entertainment mainstays in film, television, and other professional spheres), the deal is expected to greatly enhance their international tour offerings. Primary Talent clients, on the other hand, will enjoy the reach and capabilities of a leading talent agency.
Per the agreement’s specifics, Primary Talent’s team will continue working out of the mentioned London offices, and board members will maintain their positions while coordinating with ICM Partners’ executives and taking steps to meet shared long-term goals. The financial terms of the deal haven’t yet been publicly revealed.
Speaking of the acquisition in a statement, ICM Partners CEO Chris Silbermann said that his company will “enthusiastically welcome” Primary Talent into the fold. Silbermann also noted the strategic value of the agreement for ICM, from the perspective of international event promotion, and indicated that Primary Talent’s new representation resources would “take their clients and their agency to the next levels of success.”
Also in a statement, Primary Talent’s Matt Bates reiterated the massive success that his agency’s had, struck an optimistic note for the future, and acknowledged that the partnership provides an “additional opportunity to offer our clients the scope and resources of a major agency.”
Primary Talent International was founded in 1990 and has secured agreements with more than 900 artists, including Lana Del Rey, Stormzy, The 1975, and The Dropkick Murphys, to name just some.
Notably, the organization has established an extensive roster of DJs in addition to its artist lineup.
ICM Partners, for its part, was founded in 1975 and is considered to be among today’s leading talent agencies. Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Vince Gilligan, Samuel L. Jackson, and many other well-known entertainment figures are currently signed to the agency.
Some have indicated that ICM Partners is also looking to carve out a foothold in the UK’s film and television market, but these rumors haven’t been corroborated—or denied—by ICM officials.