North American marketing and content production company Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. has announced the acquisition of esports, gaming and entertainment agency B/HI.
B/HI will operate as a division of Dolphin Entertainment’s subsidiary, PR firm 42West, with the agency’s President, Dean Bender, and Managing Partner, Shawna Lynch, appointed as Co-presidents.
Financial details of the acquisition have yet to be disclosed.
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Bill O’Dowd, the CEO of Dolphin Entertainment, spoke on the acquisition: “Video gamers are celebrities in their own right, and among the most popular social media influencers in the world. We believe the opportunities to cross-sell services with B/HI will be numerous, as will be the possibilities to create original content and live events.
“Dean and Shawna are seasoned, well-respected entertainment PR professionals who share our collaborative culture, and we couldn’t be more excited that they and the staff at B/HI have joined the Dolphin family.”
Dolphin Entertainment provides strategic PR and marketing services through its subsidiaries 42West, The Door and Shore Fire Media, to a number of brands in the film, television, music and hospitality industries. According to O’Dowd, the acquisition will provide the Miami-based company with a gateway into esports, the last remaining vertical of entertainment for its media group.
“Dean and Shawna have built a business with vision and relevance that could not be more at home at 42West,” added Amanda Lundberg, CEO of 42West. “I’m thrilled they have chosen to bring B/HI’s valuable expertise in gaming, esports and consumer products to 42West. This latest addition to the Dolphin collective of agencies will not only benefit existing and new clients but be a key step in our creation of assets.”
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B/HI (formerly Bender/Helper Impact) specialises in corporate and product communications programmes for interactive gaming, esports, entertainment content and consumer product organisations. Some of the agency’s past and present esports clients include Immortals, Super League Gaming, Team Liquid, and Tempo Storm. Moreover, B/HI also represents Amazon Studios, DC Universe, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, among others.
Dean Bender commented: “It became immediately apparent to Shawna and me that by joining the Dolphin Entertainment Super Group of PR and marketing firms, we can really maximize our current client relationships as well as provide a wealth of uniquely-curated services to prospective clients.
“We’ve always been aware of how dominant 42West is in the entertainment sector of public relations. It’s an honour to join Amanda and her team to be able to supplement and diversify the client roster.”
Esports Insider says: Besides providing marketing and PR services, Dolphin Entertainment also produces its own movies, television and digital programming. With Dolphin tapping into the esports industry, via its acquisition of BH/I, it could foreshadow future esports plans. Nevertheless, this acquisition alone strengthens the esports ecosystem as a whole.