Nielsen names Matthew Yazge head of esports in North America

Global measurement and data analytics company Nielsen has named Matthew Yazge its new Head of Esports in North America.

In addition to his current role as Head of Brand Sponsorship for Nielsen Sports, Yazge will now be responsible for leading commercial sales and client service for Nielsen’s Esports business following the exit of Nicole Pike.

RELATED: YouGov hires Nicole Pike as esports and gaming lead

Yazge will also lead the Nielsen Esports Advisory Board. Founded in 2017, the board is an industry group comprising top game publishers, event operators, broadcasters, media companies, traditional sports organisations, and brands designed to “drive industry alignment on measurement, valuation, data, and intelligence.”

Jon Stainer, Managing Director of Sports at Nielsen, commented on Yazge’s new role in a release, saying: “Matthew’s passion for esports and gaming combined with his deep understanding of brands and sponsorships make him the ideal leader for esports at Nielsen. By bringing powerful data and unique insights to clients seeking to align with esports, he will undoubtedly have a big impact on driving successful business outcomes.”

Yazge has worked for Nielsen in a variety of roles over the past nine years including VP of Brand Partnerships for Music and Film at Nielsen, where he led commercial sales and consulting efforts for music, film, and fashion branded entertainment and sponsorship.

RELATED: Why esports lacks (but desperately needs) unified viewership metrics

He also led Nielsen’s LGBT+ diversity and inclusion initiatives in the Southern California region, where he focused on recruitment, professional development, community outreach, and education. He also authored and oversaw the development of Diverse Intelligence publications at Nielsen around what LGBTQ consumers watch and buy. Yazge now serves as a subject matter expert for Nielsen’s LGBTQ+ research.

Yazge added: ”In this new role, I look forward to tapping my deep understanding of brands and their needs to help them understand the high value of the hard-to-reach esports fanbase and massive opportunities to align with content and major players to meet marketing objectives.”

Esports Insider says: Yazge steps into this new role as Nielsen’s former head of esports, Nicole Pike, left the company for a competitor, YouGov. The fact that Nielsen promoted from within is a sign that Yazge knows the data better than an outside hire. Plus, his long history with the company shows that he is dedicated to Nielsen’s many initiatives. We wish him luck in this new endeavour.

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