Move over, Kylie Jenner: Gamers aim to be the new marketing stars

The fact that gamers like Ninja (pic) can boast of massive audiences and hyper-engaged followers makes them rising stars on par with entertainment artistes and pro athletes, say industry experts. — AFP

Kylie Jenner, Kanye West and Tyler Blevins. That last one – the given name of video-game pro Ninja – may not rank among the highest-paid celebrities, but Hollywood talent agencies are wooing stars like never before, betting they can lead a new generation of celebrity endorsers for mainstream brands.

A few years ago, top agencies represented just a handful of video game stars, but now they see an opportunity to turn players into household names. As the gaming industry grows, players will develop projects for television, podcasts or animation, according to Conor Beesemyer, an agent at William Morris Endeavor, part of Endeavor Group Holdings Inc.