A group of former esports and creator executives have formed a new venture aimed at bringing together the talent and content sides of the digital entertainment business.
The new venture, talent management company and digital content studio Fixed, will be co-founded by Zach Katz, former president and chief operating officer of FaZe Clan, Jason Wilhelm, a former executive at talent management company TalentX, and Dean・Founded by Mr. Johnson and YouTuber Luc Baulch.
Fixedated has been operating behind the scenes since late 2023 and has already hired more than 30 people across its talent and content departments. The company officially launches this week after amassing a portfolio of custom gaming experiences, including: TurboTax Branded Fortnite Map It also features a roster of creators including Kylie “Sketch” Cox and chess influencers Alexandra Botes and Andrea Botes.
“We differentiate ourselves by helping content creators with content, the quality and distribution of that content, and then of course commercializing it with brand deals and products and things like that,” Katz said. “This is what Fixated is really about: IP organizations on the one hand, and talent representatives on the other, working together symbiotically to create this new-age digital enterprise.”
The two-pronged nature of Fixedated reflects the founders’ background in the esports industry. Talent management and content creation have become two of the most successful revenue sources for esports organizations in recent years. Fixated similarly produces original content and uses it to connect game creators with sponsors, but without the additional overhead costs associated with managing a team of competitive gamers.
“If you go to the creators of Fortnite and say, ‘Hey, we’re actually going to not only help you develop your brand, but we’re also going to develop a map with you as part of that brand at the same time. ”’ Wilhelm said.
Fixated is not the first creator talent management company to invest in developing intellectual property for its content studios and clients, particularly leveraging user-generated content platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. For example, over the past two years, streamer Ali “SypherPK” Hassan has been working with his own management company, Kinetic Group, to oni studio and super joythe companies will design and build maps in Fortnite Creative.
“SuperJoy is a Sypher-led business, but as a streamer and content creator, Sypher doesn’t necessarily need to be involved and involved,” said Justin Miclat, CEO of The Kinetic Group. “Despite market conditions, we were able to launch both businesses and will continue with that approach for the foreseeable future.”
One difference in Fixated’s approach is that the company does all of its content production in-house, rather than working with clients to spin off their own attached production companies.
“There is an IP aspect to this business that allows us to have different conversations with a lot of people,” Wilhelm said. “Because we can really show what we ourselves are building internally, and that’s an area where we can leverage our skillsets and engage talent in the experiences and products and services that we own. Because we can prove it.”
Fixed agencies and other agencies are increasingly recognizing the need for content creators to develop more sustainable intellectual property and revenue streams in the long term. Although Fixated’s founders primarily come from the esports industry, they believe their approach can also be applied to the broader world of digital entertainment.
“We want to work with creators who see themselves not as influencers, not just content creators, but actually as studios: men and women with bigger ambitions,” Katz said. said.
