Esports World Cup
Three months of live esports broadcast production across five arenas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Technical management, 5G bonding, SRT transport, and global distribution to TV and online platforms for a $27M prize pool tournament.
One of the Largest Competitive Gaming Events in History
The Esports World Cup (EWC), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, brought together hundreds of teams from across the globe competing for a $27 million prize pool — making it one of the largest and most ambitious esports tournaments ever produced. The tournament featured five arenas linked through dedicated fibre connectivity into a central Master Control Room.
Client
Esports World Cup Foundation
HB Provider: NEP Global
Rights Holder: IMG Global
Duration
3 months continuous production
Weekly TV broadcast Fri-Sun
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Distribution
International TV broadcast
YouTube live streaming
Global audience reach
The Challenge
Five Arenas, One Broadcast — Over Three Months
The scale of the Esports World Cup demanded broadcast infrastructure that could handle simultaneous competition across multiple venues while maintaining broadcast-quality output for both television and online platforms — consistently, for three months straight.
Multi-Arena Connectivity
Five separate competition arenas needed to be linked into a single MCR via dedicated fibre optic infrastructure. Every camera signal, audio feed, and game observer output had to route cleanly with zero latency between venues.
Sustained 3-Month Operation
This was not a one-off event — it was a continuous three-month production cycle. The technical build, broadcast systems, and crew operations needed to run reliably from day one through the final weekend with no downtime.
Simultaneous TV and Online Distribution
The EWC Spotlight Show aired on international television while simultaneously streaming live to YouTube. Both outputs required broadcast-grade quality, synchronised graphics, and reliable delivery to global audiences.
Remote Production via 5G
Reporter live positions throughout the venue complex needed reliable video feeds transmitted from remote areas into the OB Truck — requiring bonded cellular connectivity for real-time broadcast integration.
Our Solution
End-to-End Technical Management and Broadcast Delivery
Technical Build and Arena Integration
Oversaw the complete technical build of the esports arenas and production systems. Managed every aspect from camera connectivity and audio routing to lighting integration — ensuring all five venues were production-ready and connected to the central MCR before the first match.
Set Build and Broadcast Integration
Coordinated the physical set build and ensured all broadcast infrastructure — lighting, sound, and camera signals — was connected to the NEP Global OB Truck via fibre optic links. All feeds were redistributed via SRT for maximum reliability and low latency.
5G Bonded Internet for Remote Production
Supplied 5G bonding units to power reporter live positions throughout the venue complex. These units transmitted reliable live video feeds from remote areas directly into the OB Truck for real-time integration — critical for roaming interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage.
OB Truck and Communications Management
Ensured the OB Truck maintained full communications with all cameras across every arena. Managed audio, lighting, and camera feeds returning cleanly to the control room, with production cabin connectivity enabling editors, producers, and directors to collaborate in real time.
Live Streaming and Global Distribution
Managed the live stream output to YouTube and international TV broadcast partners. Ensured broadcast reliability, quality, and synchronisation across all platforms — delivering the EWC Spotlight Show to a global audience every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the duration of the tournament.
Behind the Broadcast
Production Highlights
Results and Impact
Delivered Broadcast Excellence at Scale
The Esports World Cup Spotlight Show was delivered without interruption across the full tournament window. Every weekend broadcast hit air on time, on television, and on YouTube — with consistent broadcast quality from the first show to the last. The production showcased esports at its highest level and contributed to the EWC establishing itself as a landmark event in competitive gaming.
Technical Setup
Broadcast Infrastructure
Fibre Optic Backbone
Dedicated fibre connectivity linking all 5 arenas to the central MCR for zero-latency signal transport.
SRT Transport
Secure Reliable Transport protocol for all contribution feeds between venues, OB truck, and distribution points.
5G Bonded Units
LiveU bonding encoders for reporter live positions, transmitting from remote areas into the OB Truck in real time.
NEP Global OB Truck
Full outside broadcast vehicle with multi-camera switching, audio mixing, and graphics integration.
Multi-Platform Distribution
Simultaneous output to YouTube live streaming and international television broadcast partners.
Full Comms Infrastructure
Complete communications system connecting cameras, audio, lighting, and production cabins across all arenas.
Frequently Asked Questions
We served as the on-ground technical management team for the entire three-month production cycle. This included overseeing the technical build of all five arenas, managing fibre connectivity into the central MCR, supplying 5G bonded units for remote production, and ensuring the OB Truck maintained broadcast-quality output to both television and YouTube throughout.
All five arenas were connected via dedicated fibre optic infrastructure into a single MCR. Camera feeds, audio, and comms from every venue routed through the NEP Global OB Truck. Feeds were redistributed via SRT for maximum reliability. The vision mixing operator had full oversight of all sources from one control position.
The show aired on international television and YouTube Live simultaneously every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We managed the multi-platform distribution with synchronised graphics and matched quality across both outputs.
Yes. While the EWC was in Riyadh, we deploy esports broadcast production anywhere — Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, and internationally. Our equipment travels with us and we provide full AV equipment and crew for any venue.
The replay infrastructure was managed as part of the broader NEP OB Truck operation. Our role was ensuring all ISO feeds from every arena were captured and routed correctly so the replay operators had access to every angle.
Related Services
Gaming and Esports Broadcast
End-to-end esports production with multi-camera switching, observer integration, replay systems, and global distribution to any platform.
Live Event Streaming
Multi-platform live streaming to YouTube, LinkedIn, and private CDNs with redundant encoding and 99.99% uptime across 300+ events.
5G Mobile Streaming
Bonded cellular connectivity for remote production — stream from anywhere with broadcast-grade reliability using LiveU bonding encoders.
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