What is required to broadcast an Esports event?

The Esports phenomenon has had lift off and it is soaring to new levels of success by the event. The increased interest in this relatively new branch of entertainment has catapulted events such as the eChampions League, League of Legends World Championship and Free Fire World Series up to where traditional sports such as football, tennis, and basketball sit. In fact, some Esports events even attract larger audiences than many sports and events that have been around for centuries. 

But what is it that makes a live Esports event such a spectacle? Is it the athletes, the gameplay itself, the worldwide accessibility? The answer is yes to all of those aspects, but if it was not for all the work behind the scenes to bring the live events to people all over the world, Esports would not be enjoying the same success it does at the moment.

Bringing the live action right to you

Much like any other live sporting event, be it the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, or Championship Cricket, there are an army of people working behind the curtain to ensure that the stage or setting is set to bring the most enthralling broadcasted experience to any viewers watching on televisions or streams. Whether it is a camera team bringing you every angle of the arena, the lighting department reflecting the electric atmosphere with glitzy lights, sound technicians bringing all emotions and sounds to life, or presenters leading you through proceedings, each of these roles play their part in the overall production. 

Another integral role that often goes under the radar is the coverage that the in-game production team bring to your screens. Virtual camera operators are responsible for bringing audiences the game action. This could be the view from a specific player, or angles from elsewhere on the map, like those on the battlefield in Counter-Strike or Call of Duty.

All this effort requires a huge amount of equipment and tech to power all the appliances around the arena, and this is before the equipment for the actual competition and gameplay is considered. Being a sport of the more digital kind, the main risk to an Esports event would be power-related. Therefore, backup generators and respective technicians will be on hand to guarantee this is not a potential problem.

Where can you watch Esports?

There is an array of ways to watch Esports. Streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube provide coverage of major events as well as individual gamers and their conquests. Over the past years, online sports betting providers, which also follow sporting events very closely, have streamed more events like horse racing. In the coming years, we might start to see EU casinos broadcast live events like ESL One or the FIFA eWorld Cup. This is due to the fact sports betting is also growing in popularity with live in-play betting becoming particularly popular amongst sports fans. Having the stream alongside any online betting provides the ultimate convenience. 

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