Esports seem to be all the rage in Philadelphia these days.
The Philadelphia 76ers are invested in Team Dignitas and recently welcomed an esports training startup to the inaugural class of its innovation lab. The Flyers, owned by Comcast, took a stake in a Philly team of the new, city-based Overwatch League. And on Wednesday, venture capital firm SeventySix Capital announced that it invested in N3rd Street Gaming, a production company that puts on esports events.
The firm, started by Wayne Kimmel and Jon Powell, brought on former Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard as a partner in May.
“There’s no denying that esports are rapidly growing in popularity,” Howard said in a statement. “Events and leagues are now broadcast to tens of millions of viewers online and on traditional television.”
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N3rd Street Gamers, known informally as NSG, was started in 2009 by John Fazio and Rob Hilsky, operates an esports arena called Localhost, and produces esports events for CS:GO, Hearthstone, Starcraft II, and Madden Challenger. The company also brings in 2,500 gamers of all levels of experience for a championship event streamed on Twitch, according to the announcement.
SeventySix Capital’s investment will allow NSG to expand its Philadelphia headquarters and production studio, open new locations, and form new partnerships to expand esports’ reach. The company will also be able to take advantage of the VC firm’s full range of connections; its portfolio digital sports media company, Whistle Sports; and Rubicon Talent, a partner of SeventySix.
“I want to thank our loyal gaming communities here in Philadelphia and the surrounding region for getting us to where we are today, and our partners at SeventySix Capital for their confidence and investment, which will allow us to deliver our unique experiences to people all over the country,” Fazio, NSG’s CEO, said in a statement.
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“As the success of the leagues continue, the esports industry desperately needs infrastructure like N3rd Street Gamers and Localhost for players to practice, compete and succeed,” Kimmel said in a statement.
Esports players can use Localhost as a venue for casual drop-in competition and access to top-flight gaming computers and consoles, as well as virtual reality systems, the announcement revealed. Larger esports communities can rent out Localhost or use NSG to produce their events.