Nerd Street Gamers Gains Competitive Advantage with Comcast Business

Esports company deploys Comcast Business ActiveCoreSM Software-Defined Networking platform to support its expanding national network of gamers and prepare for future Localhost venue growth

Comcast Business today announced that it is partnering with Nerd Street Gamers to provide high-performance connectivity and bandwidth for the esports company’s tournaments and Localhost facilities.

Nerd Street Gamers has chosen Comcast Business Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI) and software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solutions to prepare for planned business growth, create full visibility into network performance, and boost streaming bandwidth for its customers.

“When you are building an esports platform at the scale we envision, anything less than a super-fast, highly reliable network is inadequate,” said Rob Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Nerd Street Gamers. “Comcast Business gives us access to reliable connectivity during even the most intense competitions. We’re able to create a competitive environment that puts every player on the same footing.”

Nerd Street Gamers has embarked on a rapid expansion, with plans to grow to over 100 Localhost facilities within the next five years. Localhosts are public esports facilities that use the same high-powered computers that professional gamers use in major tournaments to foster a fun, social environment for players of all skill levels. Dedicated to fueling the growth of amateur esports in a collaborative environment, the company’s online tournaments and future in-person events can host hundreds of competitors at a time.

As Comcast Business EDI and SD-WAN is deployed across all current and proposed sites, Nerd Street Gamers will be well prepared for the future — as well as for the present. Following the company’s March 2020 decision to move its operations all online, the company experienced a massive growth in social media engagement, including a significant increase in the number of people clicking on its event links. Just a few weeks later, Nerd Street hosted some of its largest tournaments to date — all online.

“As companies rooted in online entertainment fill the void left by canceled live sporting and gaming events, esports’ popularity is growing, and some leagues and games are poised for success both during and after stay-at-home mandates are lifted,” said Jody Hagemann, Sr. Director, Product Management at Comcast Business. “By deploying Comcast’s high-bandwidth network and SD-WAN solutions now, NSG is well positioned to rise above the competition and become a leader in the future of esports.”

Comcast Spectacor is a Nerd Street Gamers investor and took part in the company’s October 2019 Series A round, which raised $12 million. Comcast Spectacor continues to support the advancement of a national framework for in-person esports competition and player development.

For more information, please visit http://business.comcast.com.

About Comcast Business

Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the Enterprise market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services.

For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @Comcast Business and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

About Nerd Street Gamers

Nerd Street Gamers is a national network of esports facilities and events dedicated to powering competitive opportunities for gamers. The company promotes greater access to the esports industry, laying a national framework for esports talent development and high-quality gaming tournaments. NSG has received backing from Five Below, Comcast, SeventySix Capital, Elevate Ventures, and angel investor George Miller.

For more information, follow @nerdstgamers on Twitter or visit nerdstgamers.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200526005466/en/

Matt Helmke, Comcast Business [e-mail] [phone]