Marketing agency Infront has announced a new strategic partnership with Italian esports organisation Mkers.
This deal will see Infront manage any and all commercial and marketing duties for the organisation, as well as creating content and graphics for digital channels and social media.
Infront is hoping to help Mkers find commercial opportunities on both a national and global scale. Mkers is the first Italian organisation that Infront has become involved with, perhaps showing that it wants to help those in esports on a more global level rather than focusing on a single region.
Paolo Cisaria, CEO of Mkers said the following in a statement: “I think it’s an important day for the whole of Italian esports, not just for Mkers. We were born less than two years ago with the ambition to strengthen the credibility of an existing market that thrills millions. Thanks to Infront we can take a considerable step forward. The biggest challenge is to demonstrate that we are up to that level, taking care of our fan base and sponsors in a professional and engaging manner.”
Infront typically works in sports, but has been increasing its footprint in esports steadily. The agency entered the industry earlier this year by partnering with STARK eSports, it then expanded its presence by teaming up with PENTA Sports and Team Vitality in April and May respectively.
Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Infront Italy also commented: “We are enthusiastic about this new partnership. The esports market is now fully a part of sport business. The numbers are clear: it is a phenomenon in rapid evolution reaching a wide audience. A dedicated working group will work with Mkers, who have already positioned themselves as one of the most important teams in Italy. We are certain that – with our support – they can achieve prestigious results at a global level.”
Mkers currently competes in FIFA, Clash Royale, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, PES, MotoGP, and Tennis World Tour. The organisation is partnered with Lotto, RDS, Twitch, Nighthawk Pro Gaming, and Sparco.
Just earlier this week, PENTA Sports added online betting provider sunmaker as a sponsor. This sponsorship includes promotion via PENTA’s jerseys, website, and social media platforms.
Esports Insider says: Italy is definitely behind when it comes to housing big, top tier organisations in the industry so seeing an agency tackling that head-on is interesting. Mkers competes in a number of interesting esports and has a few good sponsors, so it will be interesting to see how Infront plans on growing the organisation into something special.