Reach media Partners announced Tuesday the creation of a sports division led by Will Funk, former executive vice president at WarnerMedia.
The new division will produce live and on-demand original sports programming, manage and advise sports talent, property and IP, and invest in sports content and distribution. Range Sports plans to represent current and former athletes, on-air broadcast talents and coaches in the fields of marketing, TV and film, broadcasting and endorsement.
The division will be able to work with Range Media Partners’ non-scripted and scripted entertainment divisions, as well as the company’s existing partnership with A&E Studios, to create non-fiction projects, documentaries and real-time series.
As president, Funk will specifically oversee original content and programming activities, as well as advice on media rights, property representation, branding and talent representation.
Prior to joining Range Media, Funk spent 21 years at WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports, where he helped build revenue partnerships for the NBA on TNT, MLB on TBS, and NHL on TNT. He was previously the senior director of global media programs at the NBA and at Madison Square Garden
“We’ve had the pleasure of working with Will on several projects over the years, each time understanding why he is one of the most respected minds in the world of Sports IP,” said Jack Whigham, co-founder of Range Media. “The creativity, class and execution he brings to the work is exactly what we strive for.”
Former CAA agent and production manager Peter Micelli formed Range Media Partners in 2020 along with a number of agents from CAA, UTA and WME. Investors include Point72 Ventures, a minority partner in the company, as well as: A+E Networks, that a extended deal with the company. Steve Cohen, owner of NY Mets, is also an investor in the company.
This is the latest investment in sports management. Naomi Osaka recently departed IMG to launch her own sports management company Evolve. and CAA be recently. Closed Acquisition of ICM for $750 million, with part of the deal’s appeal coming from ICM’s ownership of sports management company Stellar.