J Balvin has returned to his longtime agency WME, sources tell Billboard. The move follows a short stint with UTA that started in May. No reason was given for his departure from or return to WME.
Balvin left WME for UTA in May after postponing his 25-date José tour. The move was surprising considering Balvin’s long and storied history with the agency. WME began booking Balvin when he still an emerging artist, and the agency played an integral role in his global touring and branding, securing early placements for him in major festivals.
UTA never formally announced its deal with Balvin, but the agency has been growing its Latin roster and currently represents several high-profile Latin stars. Bad Bunny, Balvin’s Universal Music labelmate Karol G and Brazilian powerhouse Anitta are all currently on UTA’s roster.
No reason was given for Balvin’s return to WME after such a short period of time, but the global star and much sought-out brand ambassador is one of the agency’s marquee acts.
Balvin has grossed more than $20 million and sold over 300,000 tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All six of the Colombian star’s full-length studio albums — including the collaborative Oasis album with Bad Bunny — have reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, wit
h four of them hitting No. 1. He’s charted 93 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including 35 top 10s and nine No. 1s. In every year from 2014 through 2021, he’s finished as one of the year’s top 10 artists on Billboard’s annual year-end Top Latin Artists chart.
Other WME Latin acts include Nicky Jam, Juanes, Ozuna and Shakira.
Balvin continues to be managed by longtime manager Fabio Acost along with Scooter Bruan’s SB Projects.
