Esports Insider has teamed with integrated marketing and brand experience agency CSM Sport and Entertainment to provide strategic and commercial consultancy. The duo will help initiate deals between brands and esports entities.

“Esports is often a daunting industry to step into for a brand or a rights holder, so we are excited to use our collective knowledge and expertise to guide them on this journey,” says Same Cooke, co-founder and managing director, Esports Insider. “CSM is one of the leading sport and entertainment agencies in the world, and [they] share our passion and drive in pushing the esports industry forward. This partnership was the perfect fit for us, and we can’t wait to get started.”

The partnership is a signal of CSM’s commitment to esports, which has been a key focus for the agency over the last 12 months, having made several specialist hires and client wins in this space. This partnership, in particular, will provide end-to-end services to guide brands and rightsholders through the world of esports.

“We all believed that there was a gap in the market for a commercial service offering for esports that combined deep industry knowledge with extensive delivery experience and global reach,” says James Callagher-Powell, corporate strategy director and esports lead, CSM Sport and Entertainment. “Together, we believe that CSM and ESI can offer this. We will provide strategic and commercial consultancy, connect brands with the most appropriate esports rights holders and help bring to life esports partnerships through bespoke and authentic activations.”

The partnership was officially unveiled at the ESI Digital Summit, a two-day online esports business conference that featured more than 20 sessions and more than 500 virtual attendees.