Agent Name: Derek Blum
New Company: Arise Artists Agency
Department: Unscripted TV
Previous Company: Innovative Artists Agency
Territory: United States
- Derek Blum has joined Arise Artists Agency as an Unscripted TV Agent, reuniting with longtime colleague and Arise CEO Brian Cho, with whom he previously worked at A3 Artists Agency.
- Blum brings over 15 years of unscripted TV experience, having previously held positions at UTA, Paradigm Talent Agency, APA, A3 Artists Agency, and most recently Innovative Artists.
- At Arise, Blum will continue staffing across all unscripted genres, including competition, game shows, documentaries, food, home renovation, and talk, while expanding packaging work with production companies and on-camera talent.
- This hire reinforces Arise’s strategic investment in its Unscripted Department, following the agency’s earlier addition of unscripted agent Paul Barrutia.
Arise Artists Agency is doubling down on unscripted television. The boutique agency, founded in 2024 by CEO Brian Cho, has brought on Derek Blum as its newest Unscripted TV Agent.
Blum is a seasoned industry vet with more than 15 years in the game. He launched his career at UTA before moving to Paradigm Talent Agency in 2012, where he became an Unscripted TV Agent.
He later continued at APA, followed by more than six years at A3 Artists Agency, working directly alongside Brian Cho. Most recently, Blum spent over two years at Innovative Artists Agency before making this move.
At Arise, Blum will represent top showrunners and producers, staff across unscripted genres including competition series, game shows, documentary, food, home renovation, and talk, and expand his packaging work with production companies and select on-camera hosts.
This is the same approach that drove Paul Barrutia’s hire at Arise, and that trend of building a formidable unscripted bench is a clear signal of the agency’s direction.
This move is reminiscent of how other agencies have been shoring up specialized departments like when Rebecca Rusheen joined CAA from The Gersh Agency to strengthen its Creators division, or how Devin Landau crossed over to CAA from TBA Agency to solidify its global touring bench.
“Having worked with Derek before, I know firsthand the experience and proven track record he brings to the table,” said Brian Cho.
Takeaways
This isn’t just a routine hire, it’s a statement. Arise Artists Agency is only two years old, and it’s already attracting agents with the kind of long, multi-agency track record that major shops typically corner.
Derek Blum didn’t just pass through the industry; he built meaningful careers at five agencies before landing here. The fact that he’s choosing a growing boutique over a bigger platform says something about what Arise is building: a culture and vision compelling enough to attract seasoned talent.
The reunion angle matters too. Brian Cho and Blum share history at A3, and in a relationship-driven business like unscripted TV, trust is currency. That pre-existing shorthand accelerates everything.
Unscripted television is also quietly having a big moment again: competition formats, food and renovation content, and documentary series are all surging across streamers.
Blum’s packaging relationships with production companies position Arise to be in the room at the earliest stages of greenlight conversations, not just filling seats.
Could Arise’s early investment in unscripted put it on a fast track to becoming a serious player in packaging deals with streaming platforms? Will Blum’s prior clients from Innovative Artists follow him to Arise, and what does that mean for the agency’s roster depth?
