TikTok star Josh Richards has teamed up with fellow Sway House member Griffin Johnson to form a new agency called CrossCheck Sports. The agency is only the latest business venture for the duo, with previous deals including the formation of CrossCheck Studios with actor Mark Wahlberg.
The TikTok duo joined two additional partners, fellow TalentX co-founder Michael Gruen and former Goldman Sachs partner Marshall Sandman, to form the agency. This is the second venture for the four young entrepreneurs, with the group having founded Animal Capital earlier this year. Richards has been co-hosting the sports and TikTok-centered podcast BFFs with Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports.
Johnson is also known for his experience in finance, having earned a spot on Business Insider’s 29 Up and Comers Changing the World of Venture Capital. He has recently ventured into the world of sports as well, having served as co-creative director for Fan Controlled Football League. In addition, he is a brand ambassador and advisor for the esports conglomerate ReKT Global.
The goal of CrossCheck Sports is to focus on signing up-and-coming professional basketball players. The recruitment process will be led by veteran NBPA and FIBA certified agent Zachary Charles. Charles previously served at the Young Money AAPA Sports Agency as well as having been the CEO of 3PT Sports Management. Michael Gruen was also a co-founder behind the 3PT Sports Management company which served as a full-service agency for professional basketball players.
With goals set to become one of the top prospect agencies in 2022, Gruen stated, "don't be surprised if you see us in the scene for the 2021 draft". Gruen has been known for helping social media stars expand beyond their platforms and get closer to retaining a mogul status. His role at the agency will include a similar task, helping professional players who want to extend their career beyond the court and into the world of influencers and brand dealers.
According to Sports Agent Directory, there are an estimated over 3500 certified sports agencies. Some of those agencies have been led by financial moguls and major investors. Scott Boras is an agent who boasts over $2 billion worth of contracts to his agency. With a primary focus in baseball, he represents Prince Fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Stephen Strasburg. Jeff Schwarts is another agent who specializes in basketball. He boasts over $1.7 billion in contracts, earning a commission of over $64 million. He represents clients such as Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond. These iconic agents have paved the way for Richards, Johnson, Gruen, Sandman, and Chase, but also provide heavy competition for the future of their agency.
Sources: VanityFair, CreatorHandbook, ProSportsExtra, TubeFilter, MoneyINC, SportsAgentDirectory, Forbes, Ranker
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmq6GTnXqxu9aeqZ%2BtnGTBqrfTqKJmop%2BotW6%2ByJyfmqqUqHqovsifnaKmXZ%2B8qbrSqKVmpJGqu6S0jJypqKujmLWmr8pmqqmnoqnAbq3GnqWcsV8%3D