The Power Brokers of the Creator Economy: The Agents and Attorneys Behind 2026’s Biggest Online Stars

The creator economy has become the defining force in modern pop culture. From political commentary to indie filmmaking, from children’s entertainment to fashion collaborations, the people who built their followings on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Twitch now shape the way we consume media, buy products and even think about the world. But none of it happens in a vacuum. Behind every viral moment, every sold-out product drop, every streaming deal and every brand partnership, there is a representative — an agent, manager, lawyer or strategic adviser — working behind the scenes to turn internet fame into lasting, lucrative business.

These are the people who answer the calls, negotiate the contracts and open the doors. They are the ones who know which opportunities will elevate a client’s career and which ones will quietly damage a personal brand. In 2026, the most powerful reps in the creator space have moved staggering amounts of money, brokered historic deals and fundamentally changed what it means to be an online star. Here is a look at the agents, attorneys and managers who are quietly running the internet as we know it.

UTA / DBA: Ali Berman, Raina Penchansky, Oren Rosenbaum and Hilary Williams

At the intersection of talent representation and digital strategy, UTA Creators and Digital Brand Architects continue to set the standard. Their roster reads like a who’s who of modern entertainment: Markiplier, Kareem Rahma, Colin and Samir, and Olandria Carthen are just a few of the heavy hitters they guide. This year, the team made major moves in the podcasting space, helping populate Netflix’s new slate of video podcasts with shows like The Rotten Files With Stephanie Soo. They also brokered the much-talked-about collaboration between MrBeast and novelist James Patterson, a pairing that generated headlines and curiosity in equal measure. Emma Chamberlain’s coffee brand continued its expansion, including a new presence on Abbot Kinney, while Alix Earle landed her own Netflix series, Earle Meets World. The team’s ability to move clients across platforms and formats is unmatched.

Gersh: Keith Bielory, Melissa DeMarco and Jade Sherman

Gersh’s digital division has become a bridge between online stardom and traditional entertainment. Keith Bielory, Melissa DeMarco and Jade Sherman have spent the year pushing their clients deeper into film, television and even live theater. Their work with Broadway’s Chicago was a standout, with reality stars Ariana Madix, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas drawing record-breaking audiences to the long-running production. Online health expert Doctor Mike crossed 30 million followers under their guidance, proving that educational creators can compete with the most polished entertainers. Eli Rallo, meanwhile, turned her online voice into a New York Times best-selling book, a testament to the team’s ability to identify which personal stories will resonate beyond social feeds.

Sixteenth: Payton Booker, Skye Petrie and Alexis Ramos

Sixteenth has been building one of the most diverse and dynamic rosters in the creator space. Alexis Ramos took the company’s sports division from nothing to something, representing some of the biggest names in the NFL, WNBA and track and field. Skye Petrie brought a wealth of British talent into the fold, helping U.K. internet stars like Maddie Borge expand their reach globally. Payton Booker has been equally busy, securing major brand partnerships including a standout $90,000 campaign for Charles Brockman III. What makes this team impressive is their willingness to think beyond traditional borders, both geographically and professionally.

Manatt: Christopher Chatham and Ellie Heisler

Alan Chikin Chow is one of the most-watched creators on YouTube, with more than 100 million subscribers and a rapidly expanding universe of content. Christopher Chatham and Ellie Heisler have been instrumental in taking Alan’s Universe beyond YouTube, landing distribution deals with Roku Channel and Tubi. Chatham also represents Logan Paul, the ultimate multiplatform lightning rod, and helped broker deals for his Impaulsive podcast. He also works with IShowSpeed, whose 61 million YouTube subscribers make him one of the most influential streamers on the planet. Heisler has developed a close working relationship with Jordan and Salish Matter, and she structured a groundbreaking partnership between Salish and Chipotle, making her the youngest person ever to launch a digital menu item with the brand.

Palette: Daniel Daks and Josh DeAngelis

Founded during the TikTok boom of 2020, Palette has grown into a powerhouse management company under Daniel Daks and Josh DeAngelis. Their roster spans comedy, lifestyle and infotainment, with creators like Carlos Eduardo Espina, whose Creator Cup event sold out Houston Dynamo’s stadium twice, and Lana Rae, a Roblox star whose consumer product line has generated more than $20 million in retail sales over the past five months. The team has a proven eye for spotting creators who can move beyond content and into real-world consumer products, making them one of the most forward-thinking groups in the industry.

Odd Projects: Arjun Das

Odd Projects has carved out a niche representing creators who want to make a difference. Arjun Das, recruited by managing partners Brian Sokolik and Nate Ruff, has become known for his work with social impact creators. He closed a book deal for Hunter Prosper, a storyteller and interviewer who has also launched a series with Barack Obama’s Higher Ground production company. He helped Jesus Morales, a video creator telling Latinx stories around Los Angeles, build a nonprofit that has already raised six figures in donations. Das represents a growing segment of the creator economy where influence is measured not just in views, but in meaningful change.

WME: Ben Davis and Jad Dayeh

WME’s digital department has had a massive year. Ben Davis closed a reported $100 million deal for Jay Shetty and his On Purpose podcast, a first-of-its-kind agreement with both Netflix and Spotify for joint exclusive rights. Davis and Jad Dayeh, who co-head the department, have also helped reality stars Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner secure major brand partnerships, including Berner’s multiyear ambassadorship with Lululemon. Their ability to pair creators with premium brands has made WME one of the most influential agencies in the space.

Entertainment 360: Alexandra Devlin

Entertainment 360 has been building toward a bigger presence in digital, and Alexandra Devlin was brought in to make that happen. She came from WME, where she brokered Paige DeSorbo’s Super Bowl commercial with Kinder Bueno and negotiated finance guru Vivian Tu’s ambassadorship with SoFi Bank. Devlin brings deep experience and strong relationships, and her arrival signals that more traditional management companies are serious about claiming a share of the creator economy.

Greenberg Glusker: Matt Dysart and Eric Perlmutter-Gumbiner

Attorneys are often the unsung heroes of the creator economy, and Matt Dysart and Eric Perlmutter-Gumbiner are among the best. Perlmutter-Gumbiner serves as corporate and strategic adviser to a who’s who of digital talent and marketing firms, including Palette Media, Jake Rosen Entertainment, Get Engaged Media, Underscore Talent Agency, Made by All and Dhar Mann Studios. Dysart is equally busy, representing investment firms and content companies like Slow Ventures, Kynetic Content, UnderCurrent, Palette Media and Creator Society. Their work may not make headlines, but it provides the legal and strategic foundation that allows creators and companies to thrive.

Parker: Stephanie Field and Lindsay Nead

Parker Management started 2026 with a major acquisition, bringing Estate Five into the fold and expanding its footprint in fashion and beauty. The firm has signed a wave of new talent, including Alex Bennett, Abigail Erb and Dan and Samantha Matthews, joining a deep roster of lifestyle, family, home and Bachelor Nation creators. The team has secured campaigns with Google Pixel, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tuckernuck and Lincoln, proving that traditional brands are eager to work with creators who feel authentic and aspirational.

Select: Lisa Filipelli, Brittany Maxwell and Caroline Nardilla

Select has become a major player at the intersection of creator culture and Hollywood. The company delivered new seasons of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and launched a franchise expansion, TSLOMW: Orange County, both featuring Select clients. They also launched Select Sports, a new division that reimagines athlete representation for the social media era. The division already landed Super Bowl campaigns for Sky Brown and Oksana Masters with Meta x Oakley glasses and Toyota. This is a team that understands how to move talent across every entertainment platform.

Underscore Talent: Dylan Flinn, Mallory Llewellyn and Kyle Stevens

Underscore Talent has been making noise across multiple fronts. Mallory Llewellyn landed four clients on Netflix’s Calabasas Confidential, where she also serves as consulting producer. Kyle Stevens helped Kareem Rahma turn SubwayTakes into an Emmy-nominated series and launched his second show, Keep the Meter Running. Dylan Flinn has become the go-to manager for top AI creators, securing one of the first celebrity likeness deals with HiggsfieldAI and landing a studio development deal for AI content creator Chloe vs History. The future is here, and Underscore is already leading it.

CAA: Arleta Fowler, Andrew Graham, Brent Weinstein and Sophie Wiener

CAA has had a banner year, signing some of the biggest creators in the world. Rhett + Link, Valkyrae, Stokes Twins, Deestroying, Rebecca Zamolo, Nara Smith, Jack Goldburg, Reckless Ben, Max Klymenko and Reece Feldman are just a few of the names added to their roster. In June, CAA and Integrated Media Co. launched Compound Creative Holdings, a $250 million venture designed to acquire, operate and grow companies in the creator economy. With that kind of capital and institutional power behind them, CAA is positioning itself to shape the next decade of the industry.

Loaded: Brandon Freytag and Yoni Ginsberg

Loaded has spent nearly a decade building careers in livestreaming, and Brandon Freytag and Yoni Ginsberg remain at the top of their game. They represent the largest share of Twitch livestreamers by watch time, including TheBurntPeanut, Cinna, Maya Higa and Shroud. This year, they landed deals with Google, EA, Epic Games and Tencent, and negotiated a “Protect the Peanut” campaign with Battlefield that became one of EA’s most successful creator campaigns. In a world where live content is getting bigger, Loaded is the standard-bearer.

Jackoway Austen: Andy Galker and Eric Weissler

Mark Rober is a former NASA engineer, ex-Apple product designer and inventor with nearly 82 million YouTube subscribers. Andy Galker and Eric Weissler represent him, along with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Their biggest move this year was closing the deal that brought Rober’s CrunchLabs and Kimmel’s Kimmelot together for Netflix’s upcoming competition series Schooled. The show will pit teams of students against each other in a series of creative science challenges, with Rober hosting and executive producing. It is the kind of ambitious, crossover project that only an elite team could pull off.

THE·TEAM: Joe Gilliland, Josh Morgan and Marcela Woessner

THE·TEAM continues to make smart moves across sports and entertainment. Marcela Woessner inked gymnast and Instagram star Livvy Dunne’s partnership with Miller Lite and turned an embarrassing viral moment involving sweat stains into a partnership with deodorant brand Secret. The company also acquired Provisions, a leading golf creator agency founded by Joe Gilliland and Josh Morgan. Together, the pair developed the Creator Classic, a tournament featuring 12 of YouTube’s top golf creators, and built Your Golf Tour, a YouTube series starring the sport’s biggest creators and pros. It is a perfect example of how the creator economy is creating entirely new sports media properties.

Yorn Levine: Ryan Goodell, Todd Rubenstein and Kevin Yorn

Alix Earle has gone from social media sensation to genuine entrepreneur, and Yorn Levine has been there every step of the way. Kevin Yorn and Todd Rubenstein helped launch her skin care brand Reale Actives and negotiated her Netflix series Earle Meets World. Yorn advised Hailey Bieber on her 2026 Gap collection, further cementing the baggy jeans renaissance, while Rubenstein represented Charli D’Amelio across multiple projects. Ryan Goodell works with chef Nick DiGiovanni, who has more than 75 million followers and served as Fox Sports’ official chef for the FIFA World Cup. It is a versatile roster that reflects the diversity of the modern creator economy.

Night: Michael Gordon, David Huntzinger and John Nelson

Night has delivered another blockbuster year. The company acquired IRL marketing firm Experiential Supply Co., adding new capabilities to its service offering. John Nelson brokered deals for Kai Cenat’s record-breaking Streamer University, with partners including Red Bull, Dell and Fortnite. David Huntzinger helped expand progressive influencer Hasan Piker’s merch line amid his skyrocketing national profile, and brokered a Netflix partnership for YouTubers Sam & Colby. Michael Gordon oversaw the eight-figure sale of true-crime YouTube channel Dr. Insanity to an investment company. That kind of deal-making shows how creators and their assets have become serious financial instruments.

Weintraub Tobin: Shaun Gordon and Jessica Marlow

Alex Cooper built Call Her Daddy from a podcast into a media empire, and Shaun Gordon has guided the legal side of that journey. The podcast is now part of a sprawling business that includes the Unwell Network, a growing film slate, live events, touring and a distribution relationship with SiriusXM. This year, Unwell raised its first outside capital at a reported $500 million pre-money valuation. Jessica Marlow represents a roster that includes Claudia and Jackie Oshry of The Toast, podcast host Remi Parsons and Chris Olsen, the TikTok comedic voice whose memoir I Think My Therapist Hates Me further expanded his brand. This is a team of legal advisers who understand that modern influence requires sophisticated, entrepreneurial thinking.

Loeb & Loeb: Melanie Howard

Melanie Howard works with some of the most recognizable names in sports and entertainment. She advises Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany on endorsements and promotional deals, and also represents gamer Andre Rebelo, better known as Typical Gamer, along with Karl Jacobs and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. On the other side of the table, she represented Gap in its Hailey Bieber collaboration. Representing both creators and brands gives her a uniquely complete view of how deals get made.

Fixated: Derek Howe

Fixated became a major global player this year with the acquisition of Studio71, giving the combined company a network of more than 1,000 creators. It operates a 25,000-person clipper network and generates three billion monthly impressions across its owned social pages. Derek Howe brokered deals for children’s gaming expert Mackenzie Turner with Disney and Nickelodeon, and led the creation of her Roblox experience, which drew 100 million visits in its first 30 days. That kind of cross-platform success shows how creator brands can become genuine entertainment franchises.

Brillstein Entertainment Partners: Seth Jacobs and Brittny Turner

Seth Jacobs helped the true-crime show Morbid sell out Radio City Music Hall on a live tour, and launched Unbiased Politics, a daily video show with lawyer influencer Jordan Berman. Brittny Turner helped YouTube star Tana Mongeau launch her podcast Brand Safe, while securing partnerships with SeatGeek, DraftKings, Skims and Celsius. The quality of those brand deals reflects a deep understanding of Tana’s audience and what makes her unique.

Goodman Genow: Will Jacobson and Matt Rosen

Will Jacobson closed deals for beauty vlogger Bretman Rock to front a global campaign for Kate Spade New York and a partnership to make him the face of K-beauty brand Dr. Groot in the U.S. Matt Rosen’s client Noah Beck has been starring in Tubi’s rom-com franchise Sideline: The QB and Me, with Rosen working out deals for the second film and the upcoming third and final installment. Rosen also helped Beck get cast on Fox’s Baywatch reboot. These are traditional Hollywood outcomes, driven by modern digital stardom.

Outshine Talent: Barbara Jones

Outshine Talent has expanded its sports business significantly. Barbara Jones represents internet-famous baseball stars like the Savannah Bananas’ Kyle “KJ” Jackson and RobertAnthony Cruz, known as Coach RAC, who launched a custom product line with Under Armour. Jones also helped comedian and actor Tyler Gaca develop a horror film and comedy creator Lala Sadii secure a scripted project at Disney Channel. Her ability to work across sports, comedy and scripted content makes her one of the most versatile reps in the business.

Hansen Jacobson: Adam Kaller, Ryan Pastorek and Lauren Partipilo Schwartz

Markiplier made headlines this year with Iron Lung, a self-funded film that cost $3 million and earned $50 million worldwide. Adam Kaller and Ryan Pastorek were by his side, and the film’s success has opened every door imaginable. They also represent SmartLess, Crooked Media, The Bulwark, Smosh, Mythical Entertainment, Emma Chamberlain, Liza Koshy, Lilly Singh and Valkyrae. Lauren Partipilo Schwartz helped Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo’s Giggly Squad sign a multiyear deal with SiriusXM and negotiated for RHOSLC star Bronwyn Newport to appear on the upcoming season of The Traitors. This team is consistently at the center of the biggest conversations in creator-driven entertainment.

Smooth Media: Josh Kaplan and Jenny Rothenberg

Smooth Media was founded by former Morning Brew executives and has quickly become one of the fastest-growing management firms for knowledge creators. The company has executed major campaigns for Anthropic, Notion, Microsoft, Ramp, Canva and Google, and partnered with Colin and Samir to build The Publish Press, a must-read publication for the creator industry. This month, creator Cat Goetze, known online as CatGPT, took an equity stake in the company and joined as a strategic adviser. Smooth Media is a clear signal that the creator economy has matured into a serious business category.

Gang Tyre: Annie Lee and Cheryl Snow

Annie Lee and Cheryl Snow have the enviable job of representing Ms. Rachel, a creator who gained 10 billion views worldwide and changed the way children consume educational content. They negotiated her Netflix series, which became one of the most-watched children’s shows on the service with 53.4 million views, as well as her debut album, I’m So Happy. They also represent former Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, whose turn as Roxie Hart in Chicago grossed more than $8 million in its first six weeks. It is a roster that spans education, reality television and Broadway.

Reed Smith: Eric Marder

Brooke Monk has more than 55 million followers tuning in for her beauty tips, and Eric Marder helped her launch her Doting Beauty brand this year while handling all of her legal and endorsement work. Marder also represents Bella Poarch, the social media star and U.S. Navy veteran with 91.6 million followers on TikTok alone. His work shows the importance of legal guidance in building sustainable brands from online fame.

3 Arts Entertainment: Dunia McNeily

Dunia McNeily recently closed a podcast deal for top horror creator Heidi Wong and put scripted adaptations of lifestyle influencer Tinx’s best-selling books The Shift and Hotter in the Hamptons into development at Amazon and Hulu. She also secured a major partnership with Kérastase for tastemaker Stassi Schroeder. McNeily’s ability to move creators into film, television and premium beauty demonstrates how far the creator economy has come.

Range Media Partners: Worthy Patterson, Mariam Rastegar Ross and Eman Redwan

Range Media Partners has become a major player in the digital space. Eman Redwan, as co-head of digital, oversees 25 executives who have closed more than $100 million in deals over the past year, with a roster that includes Nara Smith. Mariam Rastegar Ross brokered Chris Appleton’s seven-figure deal with Schwarzkopf, while Worthy Patterson developed influencer Beca Michie into a top fashion creator, placing her at major fashion shows and closing seven figures in deals. This is a team operating at scale.

Made by All: Leanne Perice

Made by All launched a studio this year with the goal of turning creators into Hollywood talent and owners of original IP. Leanne Perice works with comedy heavyweights like Adam W, Hannah Stocking and Josh Peck, as well as internet-native artists like Devon Rodriguez. She has helped foster partnerships with mainstream stars including Kevin Hart, Tom Holland and Jennifer Lopez. The old walls between digital and traditional entertainment are falling, and Perice is helping to tear them down.

Rakugo Media: Douglas Pinsky and Jake Williams

As AI creators attract more interest from major brands, Rakugo Media has positioned itself at the center of that boom. The company surpassed $50 million in gross partnership revenue in 2026, working with clients like gadget guru Carterpcs, tech and robotics creator Rowan Cheung, deep tech explainer Natalie Fratto, and comedian Austin Nasso. Douglas Pinsky and Jake Williams sold Roberto Nickson’s Life With Claude series to Anthropic and negotiated millions of dollars in partnerships with OpenAI, Google, Meta, Nvidia, AMD and SpaceXAI. This is the frontier of the creator economy, and RKM is leading the charge.

Greenberg Traurig: Paige Kaplan Randolph

Lala Sadii’s viral TikTok comedy skits helped her build more than 37.5 million Instagram followers, and Paige Kaplan Randolph advised her through the development of Lala IRL, a live-action scripted Disney Channel and Disney+ series inspired by her rise. Randolph also represents Olympic track and field power couple Tara and Hunter Woodhall, author Erin McGoff and The Lipstick Lesbians, who have partnered with Clinique, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Tatcha, NYX, Morphe, Estée Lauder, Fenty, Milk and Goop. It is a diverse roster managed with sophistication and care.

Sloane Offer: Jonathan Sauer

Jonathan Sauer’s clients Colin and Samir have interviewed everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to MrBeast, and Sauer has negotiated their partnerships with Google Gemini, Adobe and LinkedIn. He also represents Ryan Trahan, known for his charity fundraisers and viral video challenges, including the Penny Series, in which he attempts to travel across the U.S. starting with only one penny. Sauer’s approach is built around helping creators maintain their independence while expanding their reach.

Weinstein Senior: Tara Senior and Todd Weinstein

When MrBeast became the first individual creator to hit 500 million YouTube subscribers in June, Tara Senior and Todd Weinstein were the lead counsel behind him. They structured the deals behind Amazon Prime Video’s Beast Games seasons two and three, each budgeted at more than $100 million. They also serve as lead counsel to Dhar Mann Studios, the largest scripted creator-led studio in the business, which pulls nearly 300 million views a week across platforms while Mann maintains full creative ownership and independence. This is the team behind the biggest names in the industry.

The creator economy may appear to be a world of viral moments and overnight sensations, but the truth is far more complicated. The reps in this list are the ones who turn attention into infrastructure, popularity into profit, and online personas into enduring businesses. They are the architects behind the internet’s biggest stars, and in 2026, their influence has never been more powerful.