Gaming management company Loaded has struck an intriguing new deal with Boras Corp. whereby the two agencies will partner to build out Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper’s gaming presence. Terms of the deal are not being released, but Loaded will bring its expertise and connections in the gaming space to bear around Harper, who already played video games during his spare time but now wants to take his persona, skills, and fanbase in gaming to another level.
Loaded’s work will include setting up accounts on gaming platforms for Harper and getting him familiar with how to stream properly; seeking collaborations and sponsorships with brands and publishers; plus other activities like setting up a gaming charity tournament. Harper is currently playing Fortnite most often, and Loaded is well connected with Fortnite maker Epic Games given it also represents Fortnite star Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, so the sides will look into opportunities around that game to start. Sports Business Journal is first reporting news of the deal, which was in the works before the coronavirus pandemic touched off, and the sides will officially announce it later today.
Loaded Founder Brandon Freytag said: “Bryce is a smart dude and Boras Corp. is a smart company for him, and this is about broadening his audience. In baseball, he’s probably captured a good portion of the enthusiasts, whereas in the gaming world, there’s not a lot of people that know Bryce especially if they don’t watch baseball. Our playbook is to initially get him set up and comfortable with streaming … and certainly working with Boras on endemic sponsorships within the tech world.”
Popdog COO Josh Swartz, whose company owns Loaded, wouldn’t disclose the precise financial arrangement with Boras Corp. but noted: “We provide a certain set of deliverables … and go source revenue-producing deals; we don’t take a different cut (for this deal) than we would a typical client, so the general economics stay the same.”
