Founded in February 2012 by Chris Hardwick, Nerdist came into being as a podcast network and website dedicated to celebrating fandom and pop culture. The idea sparked from Hardwick's passion for various "nerdy" interests and his desire to create a community where fans could connect over their shared love for movies, comics, games, and more. Nerdist Industries was formed by merging Hardwick's and Peter Levin's entertainment projects, and it was later acquired by Legendary Entertainment in July 2012. Today, Nerdist operates as part of Legendary Entertainment's digital division. Today, Nerdist is mainly focused on pop culture news, reviews, and entertainment. They cover a wide array of topics including movies, television, comics, video games, books, and anime, offering news, interviews, videos, and opinion pieces. They are based in the United States and have made a name for themselves among fans looking for intelligent, thoughtful, and fun content about their favorite fandoms. One interesting fact: A unique fact about Nerdist is its origin as a single podcast. It began with "The Nerdist Podcast" (now ID10T with Chris Hardwick) and expanded to include a network of podcasts, a YouTube channel, a news division, and a television show, growing from a solo venture into a significant pop culture media hub.