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London-based and globally operating esports company Gfinity has announced the appointment of Mark Brittain as the its new chief commercial officer. He joins from Syco Entertainment where he was global head of commercial overseeing all commercial and revenue generating activity for its core brands, formats and represented talent.
The appoint is a real coup for Gfinity, with Brittain being instrumental in delivering multimillion pound revenue deals along with being instrumental in the implementation of The X Factor tour, which sold over three million tickets and is the UK’s longest running music tour. During its last season, X Factor had nine commercial partners and Mark closed deals with over 50 different brand partners, and over 30 different licensing deals. Over the last 12 years, Mark has worked on some of the world’s biggest properties such as American Idol, X Factor, Got Talent, 1Direction, Spice Girls, David Beckham and Andy Murray.
Speaking of the appointment, Neville Upton, chief executive of Gfinity, said:
“[Mark’s] experience with brands such as X-Factor and the Got Talent series, which have led the way in creating commercial rights around broadcast content, will be invaluable in helping Gfinity secure strategic partnerships and drive long term revenue growth. His decision to choose Gfinity, over a number of other offers, is a further endorsement of the potential of the esports market and of Gfinity’s place within it.”
In his new role at Gfinity, Brittain will be responsible for forging new commercial partnerships with brands intent on increasing their exposure to the rapidly growing esports audience that is moving away from traditional media channels. The audience for esports is forecast to rise to 385 million during 2017 (up 19 per cent from 2016), comprised of 191 million ‘esports enthusiasts’, with a further 194 million occasional viewers who watch big international events.
Allenby Capital, which acts as Nomad and broker to Gfinity, also commented, saying:
"Mark Brittain brings considerable experience in creating commercial rights around broadcast content and will be tasked with securing strategic partnerships that will drive long term revenues. He represents another senior hire following the six appointments (including a chief strategy officer, chief marketing officer and chief operating officer) and £6.3m placing in May as management has geared up the operation ahead of the Elite Series. The Series represents a core area of investment and the innovative format creates a number of potential revenue streams (franchise fees, sponsorship programmes, advertising, broadcasting rights and online betting)."
