VaynerSports, the athlete representation agency founded by Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk, has launched a gaming division called VaynerGaming, which will cover esports athletes and gaming personalities.
The division’s first client is 2019 Fortnite World Cup champion Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf. Giersdorf originally signed with VaynerSports following his victory last year. During that time, Giersdorf and his representation secured partnerships with Samsung, Mondelez, retail chain Five Below, as well as an appearance in the Sabra Hummus Super Bowl this year. Additionally, Giersdorf has signed a long-term exclusive streaming deal with Twitch, and his representation renegotiated an existing deal with esports organization Sentinels, which Giersdorf represented at the Fortnite World Cup.
VaynerGaming will be led by Darren Glover, who previously served as director of marketing and talent development at Wombo Sports.
Last year, Gary Vaynerchuk made a major push into the gaming space as an investor in the parent company behind Call of Duty League team Minnesota RØKKR, which hosted the league’s launch event earlier this year. The VaynerMedia CEO has been outspoken about his belief in the potential of esports, telling The Esports Observer in an interview last year, “I think esports is a top-four sport in America when I’m 62 years old, and I want to be a part of that.”
