Marc Anthony Launches Magnus Sports Agency, Signs Aroldis Chapman
Marc Anthony has added a sports division to the talent management company he founded earlier this year.
The New York Daily News reports Florida-based Magnus Media has already signed Cincinnati Reds star pitcher Aroldis Chapman as its first sports client. The company will represent Chapman in marketing, while the firm Praver Shapiro will represent the soon-to-be free-agent hurler for all baseball-related matters.
The joint venture between Magnus and Praver is similar to the one hip-hop mogul Jay Z recently entered into with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) when he launched Roc Nation Sports. Still in its infancy, the company has already landed such heavyweight talent as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, Seattle Mariners second basemen Robinson Canó, New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia, Miami Dolphins defensive end Ndamukong Suh and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.
"Baseball, like music, is an ingrained, cultural passion for many Latinos throughout the world, and there's no shortage of amazing stars of Hispanic origin," Anthony said in a statement. "Despite that, until now, there hasn't been an enterprise designed to meet their needs."
According to The News, nearly 30 percent of all Major League Baseball players are Hispanic, including Canó, Albert Pujols, and David Ortiz from the Dominican Republic; Miguel Cabrera and Félix Hernández from Venezuela; Chapman, Yasiel Puig and José Abreu from Cuba; and Carlos Beltrán and Yadier Molina from Puerto Rico.
Anthony has tapped Michael Vega as CEO of the company. Vega previously served as head of Latin Music for the agency William Morris Endeavor for 15 years.
It remains unclear if Magnus will only represent baseball players or enter into other sports. If Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband decides to also represent football players, he will be forced to sell off the small stake he has owned in the Miami Dolphins for the last six years.
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