Famed sports agency CAA Sports has partnered with global food service and hospitality company Delaware North. The partnership aims to expand Delaware North’s involvement in the every growing and emerging esports space.
In addition to CAA Sports, CAA Ventures is also under the Creative Artists Agency. Both CAA branches have established relationships in the ever-growing esports industry. While CAA is considered a super agency in the representation world, the higher ups have their hands in seemingly everything. Evolution Media Capital, CAA’s investment bank, acted as an advisor for BAMTech’s $300 million streaming rights deal with Riot Games for the rights to distribute “League of Legends” via mobile applications.
The partnership with Delaware North signals an expansion of CAA’s venture into esports. Although signed earlier this year, the deal covers all aspects of Delaware North’s operations in sports and entertainment, travel, parks and resorts, and gaming and airports according to Todd Merry, Delaware North’s chief marketing officer.
For those unfamiliar with Delaware North, it is likely the company that provides food an beverage concessions at your favorite team’s stadium. As one of the leading foodservice and retail management companies at stadiums and arenas across the globe, some of the venues it serves include MetLife Stadium in New York City, Wembley Stadium in London, and Busch Stadium in St. Louis. According to Merry, the company does more than a half-billion transactions every year.
This partnership is the first time that Delaware North outsourced to another agency to help grow revenue, according to Rick Abramson, Delaware North’s chief operating officer. The 102-year-old Buffalo-based Delaware North will utilize CAA Sports on sponsorship sales and media rights for a variety of properties. Additionally, it is interested in the analytics behind sponsorships in terms of impressions.
Why would one of the biggest names in the concessions industry want to partner with a sports agency? The higher ups at Delaware North did not have to look very far for inspiration, as fellow Buffalo-based company, New Era Cap Co., which signed a deal with CAA to help in a variety of marketing efforts.
With companies looking near and far for any sort of competitive advantage, CAA Sports and Delaware North’s partnership may be the first of many seemingly unique partnerships between companies and agencies.