Creative Artists Agency built its reputation representing film stars, directors and athletes. Increasingly, its growth ambitions point somewhere else: the YouTube channels, Twitch streams and TikTok feeds where a new generation of talent has built large, loyal audiences without ever passing through a traditional studio.

Signing the platform generation

Over the past year, CAA's Creators division has signed a run of high-follower names. The agency signed the prank duo Alan and Alex Stokes, known as the Stokes Twins, who count roughly 140 million YouTube followers, The Hollywood Reporter reported. It also signed family-video creator Rebecca Zamolo and challenge-focused creator Ben Azelart, who trade reports place at tens of millions of subscribers each.

Building a dedicated division

CAA's push is organised around a dedicated Creators division that represents digital video and audio personalities as they expand into film, television, publishing, consumer products and live touring. The unit is overseen by Brent Weinstein, a former UTA and Candle Media executive whom CAA hired in 2025 to accelerate its creator strategy, according to Variety. The agency has also been recruiting specialist agents from rival firms to staff the division.

A $250 million investment vehicle

CAA's interest now extends beyond commissions on bookings. In June 2026, the agency and Integrated Media Company, an investment arm of TPG, announced Compound Creative Holdings, a $250 million venture to "acquire, operate and grow a portfolio of leading Creator Economy businesses," Variety reported.

CAA co-chairman Kevin Huvane framed the rationale in business terms, saying creators "are building full-fledged media companies with direct audience connections and true ownership," according to Variety. The venture operates separately from the CAA Creators representation division — a distinction worth keeping in view, since representing a creator and investing in a creator's company are different businesses, and the long-term returns of creator-economy investing remain unproven.

Likeness, AI and a YouTube tie-up

CAA's relationship with the platform world is not limited to signings. In December 2024, YouTube announced a partnership with CAA to test tools that help talent identify and manage AI-generated content using their likeness. YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan said the company was "excited to collaborate with CAA."

A wider agency race

CAA is not acting alone, and arguably not first. Variety notes that UTA has been a pioneer in creator representation, including through its acquisition of Digital Brand Architects, while WME has expanded its roster of digital-native stars, particularly podcasters. Among Hollywood's traditional agencies, UTA, CAA, WME and Gersh have established the major digital practices, alongside creator-native firms such as Night Media, which represents MrBeast and Dude Perfect.

The through-line is a recalibration of where the agencies see future value. For decades, prestige flowed from screens controlled by studios and networks. The recent signings, hires and investment vehicles suggest the leading agencies now believe a meaningful share of tomorrow's stars — and tomorrow's media companies — will come from platforms they once watched from a distance.