MDR Brand Management this week launched a global esports and interactive entertainment division called NIVO Management.
NIVO operates as a standalone business, but the new division will benefit from the international footprint of MDR Brand Management, the company says. MDR now operates in 25 locations around the world.
The company says NIVO Management is currently working on three strategic platforms. They represent elite professionals in contract negotiations; develop bespoke strategies to maximise brand opportunities, including sponsorship and endorsement deals; and provide holistic management support, utilizing an extensive network of specialist advisors, from nutritionists and performance coaches to private client and legal expertise.
MDR says it created NIVO due to the growing demand for player-centric management that is transparent, and free from conflicts of interest. NIVO represents players across a wide portfolio of video games including Valorant and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). eSports players have access to MDR Brand Management’s global network of brands and commercial relationships. NIVO also consults for brands looking to enter the strategic esports market.
“As a management business, as opposed to a traditional agent, we put players at the heart of our strategy,” said Avener. “By managing negotiations, unlocking brand potential and opening up our global network of specialist advisors and brands, we enable players and talent to focus on what they do best.
“The launch of NIVO as a standalone division marks an important investment for MDR Brand Management in the rapidly expanding esports and interactive entertainment sector, and builds on our sustained growth over the past three years,“ he added.
NIVO is headed by Tom Murray, a lawyer within the Sports Group and Esports Group at Mishcon de Reya, working closely with Avener. NIVO has already signed a number of players, including Alex ‘ALEX’ McMeekin, a CS:GO and Valorant player, and Alexandre ‘xms’ Forte, a leading French Valorant player who was most recently signed with Alliance.
“We are excited to build on our success in advising leading esports professionals on their legal affairs with the launch of NIVO,” Murray said. “Players have made it clear to us that they want their careers and commercial opportunities to be managed with the same professionalism and integrity as we approach our brand management and legal practices. We are here to deliver that.”