F.Y.I.

Former Sony managing director appoints chairman of Showdown

Sony Australia and New Zealand’s former managing director and vice president, Michael Ephraim, has been appointed chairman of esports and content agency, showdown.

The announcement:

Showdown, the leading video games & entertainment media publisher, and exclusive distributor for Twitch in Australia and New Zealand, today announced industry veteran, Michael Ephraim, has been appointed Chairman of the company.

Michael will be responsible for driving the growth and strategic direction of the Showdown business, as well as the company’s esports division, Throwdown. He will also bring considerable talents to bear overseeing Showdown’s exclusive ANZ distribution partnership with Twitch, the world’s leading video platform and community for gamers.

Previously the Managing Director and Vice President of Sony Interactive Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Michael has been a leading figure in the industry for almost 30 years and brings a wealth of experience to his role as Chairman of Showdown.

“I am glad to be joining Showdown at a very exciting time, when we’re seeing the massive growth and potential of esports overseas being matched here in ANZ,” stated Michael. “Showdown’s exclusive partnership with Twitch allows us to offer the brands we work with a deep interaction with the video gaming community that is unrivalled in this market, at a time when Twitch is second only to Netflix as the most watched live video platform,” [1]  Michael said.

Scott Wenkart, Managing Director of Showdown, added “Having a pioneer of the video games industry joining the team is a massive coup for Showdown. His experience in this market is second to none.”

“Michael is joining us at an important time, just as Showdown’s esports division, Throwdown, is about to announce the expansion its leagues, adding the immensely popular PUBG to its roster. This will provide some excellent new opportunities for clients to promote their brands to the huge audience we reach,” shared Scott. “We are producing and managing some of the best viewed esports tournaments in the region, which combined with Twitch, who we represent exclusively in ANZ, delivers the best integrated campaigns for brands,” added Scott.

Source: PowerUp

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.