CSMG appoints Angela Bernhard Thomas as EVP for Esports

Sports and entertainment media company CSMG has strengthened its executive team with two appointments.

Angela Bernhard Thomas, the founder of service provider A-Game Esports, has been appointed CSMG’s Executive Vice President for Esports. Meanwhile, Jim Connelly has been announced as the company’s new Chief Revenue Officer.

Imace credit: CSMG

As Executive Vice President for Esports, Bernhard Thomas will be leading the launch of the company’s new ESPORTSU brand. Scheduled to launch in 2022, ESPORTSU will focus on ‘uniting the collegiate esports landscape’.

Bernhard Thomas has over 20 years of experience in the film and entertainment industry. According to the release, her work in esports includes co-founding multiple esports start-ups such as A-Game Esports and Esports Leadership Salon. Connelly joins the company following tenures at IMG and WWE.

Michael Schreck, CEO and Co-founder of CSMG, spoke on the hires in a release: “We are pleased to elevate Jim and Angela as they bring a wealth of experience and leadership to help drive new opportunities and grow our existing portfolio across NIL, esports, media rights, valuation and licensing.”

Founded in 2014, CSMG has hosted a range of collegiate esports events alongside its partner Generation Esports, the parent company of the High School Esports League (HSEL).

Bernhard Thomas, CSMG’s Executive Vice President for Esports, outlined her vision for collegiate esports: “We are focused on solutions for the collegiate esports landscape as a whole, and our vision for ESPORTSU will create innovative revenue share models focused on the commercialisation of esports assets through content creation and monetization, media rights, data aggregation, events and building community.”

Alongside the hires, New York-based public relations firm DKC has been named CSMG’s agency of record to assist with branding and social media strategies.

Esports Insider says: With a wealth of experience in esports and marketing, the appointments of Jim Connelly and Angela Bernhard Thomas are great additions to CSMG’s executive staff as the company looks to establish its self as one of the largest esports property groups in North America.