The WGA sued major talent agencies over packaging fees in 2019, framing it as a victory for writers. But CAA, WME, and UTA are more powerful now than they were before the lawsuit.

This episode explains how agencies adapted—expanding into gaming, sports, branded content, and producing. The core conflict remains: agencies collecting fees from studios rather than standard 10% client commissions creates misaligned incentives.

But the real power shift is that agencies now control access to talent ecosystems across multiple verticals. The streaming era actually increased agency leverage because platforms need content volume.

The takeaway: The headline missed the incentive—agencies didn't lose, they diversified.

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