WME-IMG announced the acquisition of Global eSports Management (G.E.M.) on Wednesday, an international talent agency which manages clients across the professional gaming industry.
G.E.M. was created to help elite video game players, commentators and related personalities establish distinct brands for its clients in the gaming community through sponsorship and marketing opportunities. G.E.M. currently represents commentators including Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles and Robbert “Siv HD” van Eijndhoven, and players MinChul “MC” Jang and Carlos “ocelote” Rodriguez.
“WME-IMG is proud to work with the best in the business across sports, entertainment, media, marketing and fashion,” WME-IMG Chief Operating Officer Jason Lublin said in a statement. “G.E.M. is no exception. Toby, Min-Sik and the team bring unparalleled industry knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit to our world-class digital talent offering. We see tremendous growth and opportunity in the eSports space, and we’re excited to bring this expertise in-house.”
Tobias Sherman and Min-Sik Ko, who co-founded G.E.M. in 2013, are set to stay on with WME-IMG.
“This venture was created out of our passion for eSports and the desire to advocate for talent within the professional gaming industry,” Sherman and Ko added in a joint statement. “By becoming a part of WME-IMG, we can maintain our core values while providing our clients with amazing access and opportunities they won’t find anywhere else.”
WME-IMG manages clients across a variety of platforms, including sports, entertainment, events, music and fashion. The acquisition of G.E.M. gives them further traction in the rapidly expanding gaming industry, which has over 71 million worldwide participant and live viewership which rivals that of top professional sports leagues, according to the release.
As TheWrap previously reported, the company cut staff by about 100 in early December.