Crusader Talent Unveils Major Partnership with Kick.com for Chess Content Creators
Crusader Talent has announced a significant partnership, merging six leading Chess content creators with Kick.com shortly after renewing deals with 23 Old School RuneScape streamers.
In a bold move set to reshape the Chess community, Crusader Talent, a top-tier talent management agency representing an elite group of content creators, today revealed a major partnership with Kick. This collaboration unites some of the most prominent chess streamers in a non-exclusive arrangement, including the USA’s first Chessboxing World Champion Matt Thomas, also known as MovingWithMat, and Maria Emelianova, known as PhotoChess, Woman FIDE Master and distinguished chess photographer.
This partnership indicates that Kick is intensifying its investment in the Chess category following the signing of Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the five-time U.S. Chess Champion and World Rank #2, last year. This deal represents one of the most substantial investments in Chess entertainment history.
Kick’s expansion into Chess follows the recent renewal of contracts for 23 Old School RuneScape streamers and the addition of two new streamers.
Kick, established in December 2022, has rapidly gained recognition by adopting a creator-first philosophy, establishing a new industry standard with a remarkable revenue split—95% for the streamer and 5% for the platform. This model far exceeds traditional revenue-sharing practices, allowing creators to keep a significantly larger share of their earnings, empowering them to concentrate on creating engaging, high-quality content.
Mason Breeding, Chief Executive Officer of Crusader Talent, commented: “Chess content is burgeoning with more opportunities available for pro players and entertainers since the rise in popularity from The Queen’s Gambit. This initial deal marks the start of Crusader’s commitment to serving the Chess community alongside Kick. Making a comfortable living as a Chess professional or entertainer is very challenging and competitive, even for renowned Grandmasters. Kick’s capital injection will enable creators to elevate the game to new heights. We’re very excited for this next chapter in Chess live-streaming entertainment.”
Matt Thomas, known as MovingWithMat, a content creator represented by Crusader Talent, said: “This Kick partnership is a game-changer for me personally, and the entire chessboxing community. We are trying to build a sport, and we need exposure to new audiences with engaging content to do that. Kick is paving the path forward for me to be a full-time chessboxing content creator.”
Maria Emelianova, known as PhotoChess, a content creator represented by Crusader Talent, added: “This deal proves that there are endless possibilities when you love what you do. Kick has landed some truly great chess content creators and I am honoured to be joining them. As a female chess player, I hope to bring more women into this amazing game.”
The complete list of Chess and Old School RuneScape streamers contracted by Kick through Crusader Talent is as follows:
Chess: James Canty III aka GMCanty, Matt Thomas aka MovingWithMat, Maria Emelianova aka PhotoChess, Naimisha aka DramaQueen_555, Nigarhan Gurpinar aka Naycir, and Hannah Sayce
Old School RuneScape new signings: Skiddler and Rendi
Old School RuneScape contract renewals: 25_buttholes, Coxie, Ditterbitter, DollBlush, eliop14, EVscape, Fuse, Happery, HeBoxJonge, jcwrs, Jessy, Katerena, Manked, Muts, Pip, PrisonJoe, Puggin, Rhys, Ron_Plays_Games, SkillSpecs, Tastylife, Tellacon, and Zandie