Engagement & Experiential Marketing Agency Engine Shop Acquires The Gamer Agency - A Preeminent Esports Entertainment Company

Deal Builds on Engine Shop's Momentum by Adding Comprehensive Esports Strategy, Tournament Management, Live Broadcast Production, Digital Distribution, and Management Expertise to its Services Portfolio

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Engine Shop, the award-winning lifestyle, and marketing agency, today announced the acquisition of The Gamer Agency (TGA), a preeminent esports strategy, event production, and development company. TGA's live events and digital broadcast productions have reached millions of fans worldwide, and its team boasts decades of collective experience in gaming and entertainment. For Engine Shop, a Bruin Sports Capital company, the acquisition puts it at the forefront of this exploding genre where, according to the latest Newzoo research, advertising investment in esports is expected to surpass $1bn by 2020. 

TGA operates exclusively in esports specializing in strategy, tournament and event production, and broadcast production. Among its work, the agency designed and continues to operate the state-of-the-art Mixer NYC Studio digital production facility at the flagship Microsoft Store in New York. This year alone, the studio will produce and broadcast approximately 100 esports and other gaming events across various titles. Through these activations, Microsoft Store and TGA have mobilized the NYC esports and gaming communities at the flagship Microsoft Store.

Engine Shop, the 2017 winner of Best Sports Event & Experiential Marketing Agency from Sports Business Journal, acquired TGA from GameCo, Inc. and will integrate the company into the business immediately. TGA was founded by GameCo, whose business is attracting esports enthusiasts and video gamers to casinos and is the inventor of the Video Game Gambling Machine (VGM™).

Said Brian Gordon, Engine Shop, CEO: "By acquiring TGA, we are adding a team with profound expertise and connections in esports to our existing consumer engagement business model. It will enable us to create and activate esports solutions for brands looking to tap in to this passionate community of fans and endemics seeking to broaden their offering and expand their fan base."

Said, Blaine Graboyes, GameCo CEO "We are very proud of the growth and development of TGA which has become among the foremost authorities bridging marketers into esports. Engine Shop's expertise in Engagement and Experiential marketing will enhance its offering to the market. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with them to meet the needs of the global esports marketplace."

Said George Pyne, Founder & CEO of Bruin Sports Capital, "This is a very strategic acquisition for Engine Shop and continues to fulfill their promise of staying at the leading edge as an agency. It smartly positions the company to be the go-to resource for marketers, leagues, team owners, publishers and producers looking to maximize the opportunity to engage esports' very impressive and growing fan base."

About Engine Shop
Engine Shop, the 2017 Sports Business Journal Best in Sports Event & Experiential, is an industry-leading engagement marketing company focusing on passion points to create authentic connections between brands and consumers. The agency uses its access to sports, entertainment and lifestyle verticals to amplify our strategic, creative solutions. The agency's clients include American Family Insurance, Anheuser-Busch, Dave and Busters, ESPN, Greyhound, Johnson & Johnson, Mercedes-Benz, Moet Hennessy, Tiffany & Co. and Under Armour, among others. Engine Shop is headquartered in New York City with offices in Beverly Hills, Atlanta, and Miami. 

About GameCo, Inc.
GameCo, Inc. is a pioneering company uniting the experience of playing video games with the excitement of gambling by creating the world's first Video Game Gambling Machines (VGM™). GameCo's patented VGM proprietary arcade-style cabinets allow a player's skill to determine the payout and winnings while maintaining the same casino-based economics as slot machines. GameCo is developing VGM games under license from major game developers and entertainment IP companies, including Steve Aoki from DJ Kid Millionaire LTD., "SOULCALIBUR™ II" with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Inc., and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" from Studiocanal S.A.S. GameCo is privately held and headquartered in New York City with additional offices in Las Vegas.

Media Contact:
For Bruin Sports Capital/Engine Shop: Scott Novak  snovak@bruinsc.com; 914 849-0921, 917 699-4142

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