Five Below to Build In-Store Esports Venues in 2020

Five Below will invest $12 million in series A funding into Nerd Street Gamers to create the in-store venues.

November 8, 2019

Five Below to Build In-Store Esports Venues in 2020

As part of a new investment round, Nerd Street Gamers will develop esports spaces within Five Below retail stores across the U.S.

Nerd Street Gamers is an esports infrastructure company dedicated to building localhosts for gaming house leagues, training camps, tournaments and showcases on professional-grade equipment. It recently closed a $12 million series A financing round led by new investor Five Below. As part of the terms of the investment, Nerd Street agreed to build 3,000-square-foot esports spaces at various Five Below stores as part of a pilot program.

“The partnership with gaming expert Nerd Street Gamers is a unique opportunity to engage with an important and growing community of gamers in many of our locations across the country,” says Joel Anderson, chief executive officer, Five Below. “Gaming is a trend our younger customers are actively enjoying, and working with Nerd Street Gamers will help us to provide an exciting gaming experience that appeals to our core customers and

beyond, while also showcasing our extreme value technology-related products and accessories.”

Based on learnings from the pilot, Five Below and Nerd Street could develop 70 or more localhost locations over the next several years. The partnership sees Five Below join a host of other non-endemic brands joining the esports arena. Recently announced brands moving into esports include

Louis Vuitton

and

Nike