Entain names Brian Lancey to lead marketing for Unikrn esports relaunch

Brian Lancey has been appointed as chief marketing officer for Unikrn.

UK.- The FTSE 100 gaming company Entain has named Brian Lancey as chief marketing officer of its Unikrn esports brand ahead of a relaunch planned for later in the year. Lancey joins Unikrn from Mastercard, where he was global VP of sponsorships and consumer marketing.

With experience in enterprise marketing and the development of new brands, he will lead brand development for the relaunch of Unikrn, which Entain plans to pitch as the leading esports entertainment platform for new audiences.  

Seattle-based Unikrn was one of the first esports betting operators when it was founded in 2014. Entain bought the brand last year as part of its strategy to expand beyond traditional gambling. Entain has expressed a lot of interest in developing areas such as NFTs and esports and the link between gambling and video games.

Group CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen has said that the relaunch of Unikrn along with the launch of the £100m Ennovate innovation hub will be key steps in Entain’s expansion into new areas. Areas of interest for Ennovate will include the metaverse, virtual reality (VR) augmented reality and non-fungible tokens (NFT).

Entain said that 40 per cent of the hub’s funding would go on UK-based initiatives, which will include the creation of a chain of high-street VR arcades featuring a “pioneering VR multi-sports club experience”. Meanwhile, it will begin to introduce NFTs across its brands, starting with PartyPoker.

Lancey wrote on LinkedIn: “I am excited to share that I joined Entain’s esport team, Unikrn, as the Chief Marketing Officer.

“Entain, a global leader in betting, gaming and interactive entrainment, is paving the way for the future of the industry. I look forward to building the esports business with the incredible team and inspiring leadership.”