Sports marketing company Infront has hired Andre Flackel to head up its gaming and esports department.
Flackel joins Infront from fellow sports marketing firm Lagardere Sports, where he co-founded its esports division.
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Flackel will report directly to Christian Muller, Senior Vice President People, Innovation & Corporate Services for Infront. The company has worked with the likes of French organisation Team Vitality, Italian organisation Mkers, Italian FIFA event eSerie A, and German team FOKUS Clan.
Flackel spoke on his new venture in a release: “Gaming’s cultural influence has been felt for many years, especially among digital natives, and there are huge opportunities for Infront’s partners to reach fans through meaningful content. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to joining the organisation on the next step of its esports journey.
“Whilst traditional sports have come to a standstill following the outbreak of COVID-19 competition continues in esports. In-person events may have stopped, but many competitions have moved to online play where rivalries continue and teams battle for a shot at various championships.”
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During his time at Lagardere Sports, Flackel initially served as a Business Development Associate. After two years at the company, he moved on to the role of Manager of Digital Sponsorships. He served as the Director of Esports for over three years before his departure.
Muller spoke on the hire: “We see tremendous potential in esports and the chance to target fan communities. These opportunities range from finding solutions for publishers, events and leagues through services we provide, to supporting teams, players and influencers and building our own esports communities. Andre will get us there sooner: he has the experience and passion to accelerate our ambitions in esports and gaming into new business.”
Esports Insider says: This is a big, big grab for Infront that should not go unrecognised by those in the industry. Lagardere Sports has done plenty of great work in esports and with Flackel jumping ship, Infront suddenly seems like fierce competition (in our eyes, at the very least.)