Subnation Media, an entertainment holding company focused on the culture of gaming and lifestyle of esports, is partnering with Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a new venture.
Together, the two parties are launching Trench Made Gaming, a new esports team that will be built to compete across multiple titles.
“Both traditional sports and esports play an important part in my life,” Valdes-Scantling said. “And as these worlds continue to converge, I’m excited to partner with Subnation to build a competitive esports team that can deliver high-powered experiences for the entire community.”
Subnation will spearhead strategy, brand partnerships, merchandising, content programming, and more for TMG. The company has previously worked with E3 and DreamHack as a cultural partner, providing activations for top brands like Volkswagen, Marvel, Amazon Games, and L’Oreal.
This new partnership with Valdes-Scantling will expand Subnation’s efforts in building viable gaming and esports ecosystems that support a diverse range of events and tournaments with the 26-year-old wide receiver at the helm alongside Subnation’s team.
“Throughout his NFL career, MVS has shown his passion and commitment to excellence on and off the field, and we are excited to help extend his talent into the world of esports,” said Doug Scott, co-founder and chief managing director of Subnation. “Together, we are going to build a premium lifestyle brand for the gaming community that provides both digital and physical entertainment experiences.”
TMG will begin assembling its rosters through the use of a combine, where gamers will showcase their mental and physical skills much like the NFL Combine.
Once assembled, the rosters will virtually train together. TMG will equip them with the necessary gear to manage their gameplay, wellness regiment, streams, and other content creation.
Subnation already acquired an equity interest in top-ranked Fortnite team XTRA Gaming in January and has recently entered partnerships with Atari Hotels and The Beverly Hilton—while still maintaining its other existing partnerships.
With this launch, TMG will look to compete in multiple games. But the org also falls right into Subnation’s existing plans to work on brand partnerships, content initiatives, branding, and merchandising to establish an authentic voice and purposeful presence within the gaming community.
