Mkers are one of Italy's top esports teams, with Daniele “Prinsipe” Paolucci claiming last year's FIFA Ultimate Team Regional Series Final crown in Madrid and Lorenzo "Trastevere73" Daretti taking top spot in the MotoGp eSport World Championship. This year they consolidated their position with a bronze at the FIFA Eclub World Championship as the only Italian team to qualify for the final stages and second place at the Roland Garros eSeries for the Tennis World Tour. The team is also making waves as a high profile performer within mobile game Clash Royale.
It is the latest in a series of partnerships between Infront and esports teams over the past few months, including agreements with FOKUS CLAN and PENTA Sports in Germany as well as Team Vitality in France. It also underlines the organisation's intent to diversify into a rapidly growing sector, highlighted during last year's rebrand.
"A phenomenon in rapid evolution"
Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Infront Italy said: "We are enthusiastic about this new partnership. The esports market is now fully a part of sport business. The numbers are clear: it is a phenomenon in rapid evolution reaching a wide audience. A dedicated working group will work with Mkers, who have already positioned themselves as one of the most important teams in Italy. We are certain that - with our support – they can achieve prestigious results at a global level."
Paolo Cisaria, Mkers CEO said: "I think it's an important day for the whole of Italian esports, not just for Mkers. We were born less than two years ago with the ambition to strengthen the credibility of an existing market that thrills millions. Thanks to Infront we can take a considerable step forward. The biggest challenge is to demonstrate that we are up to that level, taking care of our fan base and sponsors in a professional and engaging manner."
About Infront
Infront is a leading sports marketing company managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events, including the distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 1,000 staff working from 39 offices across more than 14 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year. In 2015, Infront was integrated into Wanda Sports Group, part of Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.