Trendsetter is excited to congratulate Cody and Cole Hock, founders of the management and entertainment group Up North, on their mention in Bay Street Bull’s 30 Under 30 list of Canadian innovators for 2021. Check out the full list here.
Each year, Bay Street Bull calls attention to industry leaders redefining their fields and guiding communities towards success. In 2018, Cody and Cole observed the evolving esports industry and founded Up North Management Group. Since then, Up North’s pursuits have bridged the gap between sports, games, culture, and entertainment.
Early on, the Hock brothers gained an appreciation for the gaming community and earned experience in the management field. Before creating Up North, Cole worked in the music industry at Syracuse University and founded the management company, Ninety4MGMT. On graduation day, a client of Ninety4MGMT signed with Drake’s OVO Sound Label. Around the same time, Cody observed the growth within the esports industry and recognized the profit potential. The two brothers then joined together and combined their knowledge and passion to establish Up North.
While Up North is constantly expanding, its current ventures include talent management, brand development, content creation, media production, social media marketing, and consumer products. Up North utilizes its focus on esports to establish partnerships with companies such as Samsung, Gatorade, Oculus, Nesquik, Jarritos, GameStop, and Ford. In 2020, the number of Up North’s clients increased by 150%. Also, their social media accounts reached 35 million subscribers and 150 million monthly views. Though Cody and Cole’s risks as young entrepreneurs paid off early in their careers, the brother’s dedication motivates them to continue pushing boundaries within the esports and media industry.
Additional accomplishments for Up North include partnering their client Nasher with Bauer Hockey and signing the One Percent Fortnite team. The deal between Nasher and Bauer Hockey made Nasher the first gamer to sign an endorsement agreement with a notable sports entity. Since signing with Up North, the One Percent Fortnite team now includes some of the most popular streamers who create viral videos online across multiple platforms. In the same year, Up North produced a series of cartoons for the Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker and partnered with GameStop to form a COVID-19 charity relief program on Twitch, a popular streaming service for gamers.
With the esports industry projected to gross over $1 billion in revenue in 2021, Cody and Cole will continue to launch Up North even further into the esports stratosphere.