WME & IMG sales team merge for new Endeavor

The sales teams at WME and IMG are coming together to form Endeavor Content.

Days after WME IMG rebranded as Endeavor, bringing the classic LA agency brand back after its retirement, the company has unveiled the launch of Endeavor Content.

Chris Rice (pictured) and Graham Taylor will serve as co-presidents of the unit, with Endeavor Content Partners Mark Ankner, Liesl Copland and Alexis Garland continuing to lead the existing advisory practice for financiers and content companies with entertainment strategies.

The new unit brings together the WME and IMG sales divisions, which have collectively financed, packaged and sold well over 100 film and TV projects in the past year.

Among these is BBC and SundanceTV drama The Night Manager, Sky and Canal+ copro The Young Pope and Beau Willimon’s new drama The First.

Gary Marenzi will continue as international sales chief, overseeing an integrated team of more than 200, who are based in 25 territories.

Furthermore, Endeavor Content has hired Joe Hipps as senior VP of television from House of Cards prodco MRC, where he held the same role.

The Weinstein Company’s president of international production, Yegeen Yazdi, has also been hired as SVP of film.

“With the continued disruption taking place across the media landscape, we are forming Endeavor Content to enable talent to achieve better economics and more creative freedom,” said Taylor, who was formerly a partner at WME IMG.

“Through our ability to package content, access capital resources, and engage our global sales infrastructure, Endeavor Content provides a unique platform designed to empower artists and content creators,” added Rice, who previously headed TV global sales for WME IMG.

A week ago, the decision was taken to revive the Endeavor brand was made, eight years after the previous Endeavor merged with WME.