Crusader Talent

What Crusader Talent does

Crusader Talent (legally eSports Talent Management LLC, a Florida LLC and subsidiary of Affinity Media Group) is a boutique talent management agency founded in November 2019 by co-founders Mason Breeding and Brooke Elverston Jordan. The agency exclusively represents world-class gaming content creators across platforms including YouTube, Twitch, Kick, TikTok, and Instagram — beginning with a niche focus on Old School RuneScape content and expanding in November 2021 into broader gaming titles such as Minecraft, Roblox, Rainbow Six Siege, and Hunt: Showdown, plus adjacent verticals like chess content creation.

The company's core offering is talent representation services: sponsorship sourcing and negotiation, brand management, career development, revenue stream development, merchandising, and end-to-end campaign strategy and execution for brand partners. It is not a technology platform; the offering is services-led with no proprietary AI, software products, apps, APIs, or patents disclosed. Its value proposition rests on a roster of 50+ elite creators generating 4 Billion+ combined YouTube views across 9 countries, including Torvesta (the world's most subscribed OSRS YouTuber), Thinknoodles, and TheGodlyNoob, plus an ecosystem of community-driven referrals and a guild-style Discord.

Crusader Talent operates a commission-only revenue model with no upfront costs, monthly retainers, or annual fees for creators, earning transaction fees on brand sponsorship campaigns, sourcing/negotiation services, and merchandise sales. Brand clients disclosed include NVIDIA, Disney+, Amazon, Chipotle, Got Milk?, Manscaped, Ironside Computers, ExpressVPN, The Ridge, Raycon, IBM, and Lunchables. Distribution is bifurcated: a direct creator-representation motion (outbound scouting plus inbound applications) and a direct brand sales motion via Brand Partnerships Managers. The agency is currently ranked #5 on Influencer Marketing Hub's list of Talent Management Agencies for eSports.

Name

Crusader Talent

Legal name

eSports Talent Management LLC

Website

https://crusadertalent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crusader Talent is a boutique talent management agency that exclusively represents 50+ world-class gaming content creators, offering sponsorship sourcing, brand management, and campaign execution on a commission-only basis to enterprise brand clients including NVIDIA, Disney+, Amazon, and Chipotle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gaming Talent Management Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAHAB

Creator Talent Management & Representation

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Influencer & Creator Marketing Agencies

SECONDARYMPAAAHAK

Creator Partnerships & Sponsorship Sales (Brand Partnerships)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Influencer & Creator Marketing Agencies

SECONDARYHSACAHAK

Talent Agency & Representation Services

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Entertainment Booking & Talent Management

Keywords

• Gaming talent management
• Content creator representation
• Influencer marketing agency
• Esports talent agency
• Brand partnership management

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Commission on Brand Campaigns: Crusader Talent earns revenue by representing content creators in brand sponsorship deals. The agency works on commission only — no upfront costs to creators — and is compensated based on successful campaign execution and revenue generated for creators.
2. Sponsorship Sourcing & Negotiation Services: The agency finds sponsors aligned with creator interests and negotiates deals on behalf of creators, earning a commission on the value of agreements secured.
3. Merchandising: Crusader Talent sources and distributes merchandise for creators, taking a share of merchandising revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Crusader Talent is a boutique talent management agency that exclusively represents world-class gaming content creators. On the supply side, the agency provides creators with career development, sponsorship sourcing and negotiation, brand management, revenue stream development, and merchandising support. On the demand side, it sells gaming influencer marketing campaigns and brand partnership executions to enterprise brands and agencies.

Product overview

Crusader Talent is a gaming talent management agency (not a software platform) that exclusively represents world-class gamers and content creators. The company provides a suite of talent management services including career development, sponsorship sourcing, brand management, revenue stream development, merchandising, and campaign strategy & execution. Their roster spans multiple gaming titles and platforms including YouTube, Twitch, and Kick, with creators specializing in games such as Old School RuneScape, Minecraft, Roblox, and Rainbow Six Siege.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Talent Representation Services Exclusive representation of world-class gaming content creators, providing business development and management services covering sponsorship sourcing, brand management, career development, revenue stream development, and merchandising support. The agency's roster spans YouTube, Twitch, and Kick across titles such as OSRS, Minecraft, Roblox, and Rainbow Six Siege.
• Sponsorship Sourcing & Negotiation Identification of brand sponsors aligned with creator-specific interests and expectations, followed by negotiation of brand deals on behalf of represented talent. The agency is compensated on commission only when creators earn revenue.
• Brand Management & Personal Branding Development and marketing of individual creator brands from online persona into recognizable brand identity, including positioning, messaging, and brand asset support.
• Career Development Coaching One-on-one sessions with team members to explore and define unique creator goals, connecting talent with the resources and knowledge needed for growth.
• Revenue Stream Development Development of strategies that exceed creator revenue goals through diversified income opportunities beyond core sponsorship.
• Merchandising Services Sourcing and distribution of quality fan merchandise for represented creators worldwide, with the agency taking a share of merchandising revenue.
• Influencer Marketing Campaign Strategy & Execution Full-service influencer marketing campaigns for brand clients, including strategy development, influencer sourcing and contracting, content creation with creative review, campaign execution, and analytics/post-reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generated over $1,000,000 in brand campaigns for the OSRS creator community since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• KickcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2024Crusader Talent signed a landmark non-exclusive partnership with Kick.com to bring 31 top Old School RuneScape streamers to the platform, described as the biggest investment in the OSRS content creator community ever. Crusader also announced an additional partnership bringing six leading chess content creators to Kick.
• JagexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Jagex partnered with Crusader Talent, EVScape, and Hooti for the third annual OSRS Speedrun Cup, which sees top OSRS players compete for a real-money cash pool. The partnership enables Crusader creators to participate in high-profile competitive events.
• Affinity Media GroupcoreOthersCrusader Talent is a part of Affinity Media Group, a full-service media agency specializing in creative strategy, influencer marketing, and bespoke campaign solutions.
• ChipotleflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent helped Chipotle enter the metaverse via Roblox, with Crusader creator Thinknoodles announcing and showcasing the Boorito Maze experience. The campaign generated over 1 million impressions across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter and $1,000,000 worth of free burritos giveaway.
• ThinknoodlesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThinknoodles, a family-friendly variety gaming creator with 8M+ YouTube subscribers, partnered with Crusader Talent as part of the agency's expansion into wider gaming titles in November 2021. Thinknoodles also partnered with Chipotle for the Roblox metaverse campaign.
• TheGodlyNoobflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTheGodlyNoob, a Rainbow Six Siege content creator and former Ubisoft Development Tester with 1.1M YouTube subscribers and 315K Twitch followers, was signed by Crusader Talent as part of the agency's expansion into non-OSRS gaming titles in November 2021.
• NVIDIAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for NVIDIA as part of its broader portfolio of brand partnerships across the gaming sector.
• Disney+minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Disney+ as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Amazon as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• Got Milk?minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Got Milk? as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• ManscapedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Manscaped as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• Ironside ComputersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Ironside Computers as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• ExpressVPNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for ExpressVPN as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• The RidgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for The Ridge as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• RayconminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Raycon as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• IBMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for IBM as part of its brand partnership portfolio.
• LunchablesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrusader Talent delivered campaigns for Lunchables as part of its brand partnership portfolio.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Overtime: Overtime is a creator-driven sports and gaming media company producing short-form content around athletes and gamers. It is an emerging player intersecting gaming creator culture, influencer marketing, and brand partnerships — comparable in target market to Crusader Talent.

Broad incumbents

• Endeavor / WME: Endeavor (parent of WME) is a major talent representation and sports/entertainment company with gaming and esports capabilities. It represents top gaming creators through its agencies and competes with Crusader Talent for marquee talent and brand partnerships.
• United Talent Agency (UTA): UTA is a major global talent agency with an established esports and gaming division representing top streamers and creators. It competes with Crusader Talent for high-value gaming creator representation and brand deal flow.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): CAA is a leading global talent and entertainment agency with growing esports and gaming representation. Its scale and cross-vertical deal flow (film, TV, endorsements) make it an incumbent competitor to boutique gaming agencies like Crusader Talent.
• GameSquare: GameSquare is a publicly-traded gaming and esports holding company with talent management, content, and media operations. It is a broader incumbent that competes for gaming creator relationships and brand partnerships at scale.

Direct peers

• Evolved: Evolved is a leading gaming and esports talent management agency representing top streamers and content creators. It is a direct competitor to Crusader Talent in aggregating gaming creators for brand partnerships and operates in the same boutique representation niche.
• Subnation: Subnation is an esports marketing and creator representation agency that connects gaming influencers with brand partners. It is directly comparable to Crusader Talent as a boutique gaming-focused talent and influencer marketing agency.
• Loaded: Loaded was a boutique gaming talent management agency representing streamers and esports personalities for brand deals. It is directly comparable to Crusader Talent as a gaming-native creator representation firm.
• Catalyst Sports + Media: Catalyst Sports + Media represents athletes, esports competitors, and content creators in sponsorship and brand partnership deals. It operates in the same gaming/esports creator representation space as Crusader Talent.
• The Kinetic Agency: The Kinetic Agency specializes in esports and gaming talent management, representing competitive players and content creators for brand and sponsorship deals. It competes with Crusader Talent for gaming creator representation clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crusadertalent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crusader Talent