Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Esports and Beyond: Behind the Scenes at Dignitas's New Media-Production Facility

19/11/2019

Esports and Beyond: Behind the Scenes at Dignitas's New Media-Production Facility Plans call for creation of original pop-culture, entertainment, and other content By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor

Tuesday, November 19, 2019 - 10:37 am

Print This Story

Story Highlights

Few esports organizations have made as sizable a commitment to the content-creation game as Dignitas, which launched a 3,000-sq.-ft. media-production facility in Newark, NJ, over the summer. Although Dignitas has made its name in esports, the original content churned out of this facility runs the gamut from esports and gaming to pop culture and entertainment to music and lifestyle - and beyond.

Dignitas's new media-production facility is adjacent to the Prudential Center in Newark.

The way I see it, we're not in the esports business; we're actually in the digital-sports and -entertainment business, says Dignitas CEO Michael Prindiville. Clearly, esports is extremely important to us with our competitive teams, but the entertainment side is just as important. We are trying to figure out the best, most authentic way to reach this young demographic, where these eyeballs are focused on not just esports and gaming but also pop culture, music, and traditional sports.

Dignitas: An Organization on the Rise

Since launching in 2003, Dignitas has gradually worked its way into the upper echelon of esports organizations, now fielding seven esports teams, including squads for League of Legends, World Champion Rocket League, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

In 2016, Dignitas was purchased by the Philadelphia 76ers and is now under the ownership of Sixers parent Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), the New Jersey Devils, and Prudential Center. In June, Dignitas made an industry-shaking deal when it merged with the Houston Rockets'-owned Clutch Gaming, absorbing Clutch's League of Legends team and creating what it calls a gaming-centric media and entertainment company.

The new facility features a pro-gaming space outfitted with high-end gaming PC's and consoles.

Although the Clutch Gaming deal drew plenty of headlines in the esports community, Dignitas made plenty of other news over the summer as well. In addition to launching the media-production center in Newark, the company signed an exclusive multiyear deal with social-broadcasting platform Caffeine, which now serves as the home for all official Dignitas team-focused live-streaming content.

With our ownership group having Prudential Center right here, it made a lot of sense to locate [the media center] here in Newark, says Prindiville. Once we decided on the location, we started looking at what we would need from a capability and technology standpoint to build our teams' brands and create compelling content. With our [facility] here and the Caffeine partnership, we feel like we're on the right path now.

Inside the Studio: Content Creation All About Authenticity

Located in a Dignitas-branded storefront next to the Prudential Center, the Newark facility features a 500-sq.-ft. 4K-capable content studio (presented by Caffeine TV), as well as two soundproof live-streaming and recording pods. The facility also houses a professional gaming space outfitted with six high-end gaming PCs, various consoles, and other equipment, as well as a players lounge.

Inside Dignitas's media-production facility, which launched over the summer.

We want to do as many live shows and as much live programming as possible out of this studio, says Prindiville. At this point, the studio is fired up four to five hours a day, and that is only going to grow. We're also constantly trying to figure out new ways to integrate with HBSE and leverage [events at] the Prudential Center to increase the megaphone around esports and gaming.

The content studio is equipped with a 2M/E Blackmagic Design ATEM 4K switcher and two Blackmagic Design Micro Studio 4K cameras (along with several GoPros). All live 1080p60 broadcasts are streamed to Caffeine and encoded via OBS (open broadcaster software) and also recorded onto SD cards. The facility also has plenty of connectivity, thanks to a high-speed fiber mesh network provided by the city of Newark.

We're still improving the studio, and I would say it's about 70% complete, says Dignitas Director of Media Matt Kline. Building around the Blackmagic workflow has been pretty fantastic and also very cost-effective.

All About Authenticity: Content That Resonates With Fans

Prindiville recruited Kline - a veteran of MLG, ESL, and Mashable - to build out the production operation from scratch. The production team now counts five full-time camera-operator/producer/editors on its staff and is streaming six original shows (on average) per week on Caffeine featuring Dignitas teams and influencers.

We knew it was important to create a team who really understood this space, says Kline. One of the keys for esports is to have that authentic feeling in order to give fans a place to explore their passion. That's definitely what we've done here. We have several people, including myself, who have a very long history in esports and understand what this community is all about. We understand what these fans really enjoy, and, if you're going to bring value to your sponsors and fans, you need to create that authentic experience.

Dignitas is focused on creating three pillars of content: live-streamed content on Caffeine, VOD content on YouTube and other short-form-video platforms, and cutdown content that can be posted on various social channels. Kline says the three categories feed each another, creating a flywheel of content.

The content studio inside Dignitas's Newark facility is used to produce a variety of daily content that goes beyond just esports.

In the time that we
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2019/11/19/esports-and-beyond-behind-the-s...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

10/12/2025

Sound-Alike Commercials Are Part of Sports' Soundtrack

Sound-Alike Commercials Are Part of Sports' Soundtrack Johnny Cash for Coca-Cola is the latest in a long litany of sonic approximationsBy Dan Daley, Audio ...

10/12/2025

Immersive Sound Is Logical Next Step for Sports Venues

Immersive Sound Is Logical Next Step for Sports VenuesSound-systems suppliers are sanguine, but the market has its challengesBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor Wednes...

10/12/2025

The Romans Built Arenas for Immersive Sound 2,000 Years Ago

The Romans Built Arenas for Immersive Sound 2,000 Years AgoThe historic Arena of Nimes in France is still in use todayBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor Wednesday, De...

10/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Audio Workshop Hits on Immersive, Virtualized, and Next-Gen Streaming Workflows

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Audio Workshop Hits on Immersive, Virtualized, and Next...

10/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview: Audio Spotlight

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview: Audio SpotlightBy SVG Staff Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 8:21 am Print This Story | Subscribe Story Highlig...

10/12/2025

SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the Sounds of Powder and Ice at Milano Cortina with a Behind the Scenes Tour of OBS and NBC's Audio Set Ups

SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the sounds of powder and ice at Milano Cortina wi...

10/12/2025

Advancements in Audio Technology: Capturing the Atmosphere of Live Sports

Advancements in audio technology: Capturing the atmosphere of live sports By David Davies Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 09:27 Print This Story Although wor...

10/12/2025

Everything Smelled of Popcorn: The Art of Bringing the Complex Sound of Esports to Fans With Sound Supervisor Matt Gilbert

Everything smelled of popcorn: The art of bringing the complex sound of esports ...

10/12/2025

2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program

Top L-R: Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, Hanging by a Wire, Broken English, Buddy C...

10/12/2025

You're in Control: Spotify Lets You Steer the Algorithm

For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav S derstr m, Spotify's Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision beh...

10/12/2025

L3Harris to Produce Additional Solid Rocket Motors for Precision-Guided Artillery System

L3Harris' new contract for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Insensitive ...

10/12/2025

US Space Force Expands Offensive Space Programs Through L3Harris Foreign Sales

L3Harris Meadowlands system has been designed with an open architecture software system that allows for more flexible and efficient software updates. This capab...

10/12/2025

Football Shifts TV Viewing Towards Ad Supported, Nielsen's Q3 2025 Ad Supported Gauge Finds

During this interval, streaming comprised the majority of ad supported TV (46.4%...

10/12/2025

Bitcentral Names Venture Capital Exec Rick Arnold to Board

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. Bitcentral, a provider of production, asset management, playout and streaming workflow solutions, has named technology veteran Rick Arnold...

10/12/2025

TV Tech Announces Winners of 2025 Best in Market Awards for M&E Tech

TV Tech is delighted to reveal the winners of the 2025 Media & Entertainment: Best in Market Awards....

10/12/2025

AIMS, VSF, AMWA, EBU To Hold Inaugural IPMX Testing, Certification Event

BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broad...

10/12/2025

DirecTV Launches Peacock Games

In a notable example of how pay TV operators are integrating streaming services into their lineup and using those services to retain or attract subscribers, Dir...

10/12/2025

Chaos Brings Real-Time Rendering to Maya and Houdini

Today, Chaos builds instant feedback into the viewport, connecting Maya and Houdini to Chaos Vantage's real-time path tracer. Artists can now assess 3D asse...

10/12/2025

Smeup doubles capacity with Cubbit under a new agreement...

Smeup, a key partner for companies engaged in digital transformation, today announced the expansion of its adoption of Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud s...

10/12/2025

Mediagenix Strengthens Its Security Posture with ISO 2700...

Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced two significant milestones...

10/12/2025

HDR10+ Technologies Unveils HDR10+ ADVANCED Dynamic Metadata Technology

BEAVERTON, Ore. HDR10+ Technologies, LLC has announced that they will soon begin the licensing and certification of devices, content, and services that support ...

10/12/2025

SMPTE, EBU, ETC Publish Report on AI's Impact on the Media

SMPTE has joined forces with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) to publish an updated report on AI and its impact o...

10/12/2025

Clear-Com Appoints Kris Koch as New Director of Sales - N...

Clear-Com is pleased to announce the appointment of Kris Koch as Director of Sales - North & South America. In this expanded leadership role, Kris will oversee...

10/12/2025

Mavis Camera Launches Film Kit Unlocking LUT Workflows an...

Mavis today announced the latest version of Mavis Camera (v7.4), a major update to its professional iOS camera app, headlined by the launch of Film Kit - an opt...

10/12/2025

Creamsource Taps Industry Heavyweight Markus Zeiler as Gr...

Creamsource, renowned for its Vortex series of cinematic lighting, is laying the groundwork for its next phase of growth with the addition of Markus Zeiler as G...

10/12/2025

Digital Alert Systems Introduces DAS3-DC-PS DASDEC-III DC...

Digital Alert Systems, a global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced that the DAS3-DC-PS, a new DC power supply opt...

10/12/2025

Riedel and Racing Electronics Announce Strategic Partners...

Riedel Communications today announced it has formed a strategic partnership with Racing Electronics, a premier provider of motorsport communication equipment in...

10/12/2025

GALSNGEAR Announces 2026 Leadership Retreats on East and...

#GALSNGEAR is launching two signature leadership retreats in early 2026, designed to equip women in media, entertainment, and technology with the tools to lead...

10/12/2025

CVP Launches Global Price Guarantee for Seamless Internat...

Providing worldwide customers with total confidence through transparent, all-inclusive pricing CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video...

10/12/2025

Securing the Future of Broadcast TV in the U.S.

With the Federal Communications Commission working on new rules for the deployment of NextGen TV, next year promises to be an important one for both the future ...

10/12/2025

Former Charter CEO Tom Rutledge to Receive Cable Centers Bresnan Award

DENVER Tom Rutledge, director emeritus and former president and CEO of Charter Communications, will be honored with the 2026 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award by...

10/12/2025

Cadent Acquires YouTube Measurement Firm VuePlanner

NEW YORK Novocap's Cadent has acquired VuePlanner, a YouTube video ad planning, optimization, and measurement company in a deal that will help Cadent expand...

10/12/2025

Sky extends partnership with the Ladies European Tour for a landmark 30th year

Wednesday 10 December 2025 Sky extends partnership with the Ladies European Tour for a landmark 30th year Sky and the Ladies European Tour (LET) have announce...

10/12/2025

Walk-on if you love the darts: James Maddison, Luke Littler and Big John star as Club 180 opens before 2026 PDC World Darts Championship

Wednesday 10 December 2025 Walk-on if you love the darts: James Maddison, Luke ...

10/12/2025

Rohde & Schwarz presents world's first RF power sensor with 0.80 mm RF connector for gapless DC to 150 GHz coverage

Rohde & Schwarz presents world's first RF power sensor with 0.80 mm RF conne...

10/12/2025

2026 Starts With a Swoon: Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung Lead Can This Love Be Translated?', Premiering January 16

Back to All News 2026 Starts With a Swoon: Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung Lead C...

10/12/2025

'Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine' Arrives to Netflix on May 15

Back to All News Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine Arrives to Netflix on May 15 Entertainment 10 December 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard THE N...

10/12/2025

From stand-up to Foxtrot: Comedian Michael Fry revealed as fourth contestant for Dancing with the Stars 2026

It's out of the frying pan and into the sequins for comedian and actor Micha...

10/12/2025

Documentary film on the extraordinary life of Patrick Lydon, pioneer of social inclusion and disability, to premiere on RT

Born That Way airs Thursday 18 December on RT One and RT Player Born That ...

09/12/2025

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Pam Oliver, Sideline Icon Who Redefined the Role

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Pam Oliver, Sideline Icon Who Redefined t...

09/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 2

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 2By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 7:17 am Print This Story | Subscr...

09/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Cloud Production Workshop Spotlights Live and Non-Live Workflows in the Cloud

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Cloud Production Workshop Spotlights Live and Non-Live ...

09/12/2025

Next-Generation Content Protection: Multi-Technology Security is Integral to Combating New Threats

Next-generation content protection: Multi-technology security is integral to com...

09/12/2025

CBS Sports Provides One-of-a-Kind Production' for UEFA Champions League Crossover Event

CBS Sports Provides One-of-a-Kind Production' for UEFA Champions League Cro...

09/12/2025

Spanish Professional Basketball League Relies on NETGEAR AV, MAM Tech for Seamless Production

Spanish Professional Basketball League Relies on NETGEAR AV, MAM Tech for Seamle...

09/12/2025

SVG Sit-Down: St. Thomas's Mike Gallagher and Casey Eakins on the Tommies' Bold Leap to Division I and How Video Plays a Key Role

SVG Sit-Down: St. Thomas's Mike Gallagher and Casey Eakins on the Tommies...

09/12/2025

Free Registration for the 2025 SVG Summit Closes Today at 5 p.m. ET!

Free Registration for the 2025 SVG Summit Closes Today at 5 p.m. ET!After the deadline, tickets will cost $150 to attend the eventBy SVG Staff Tuesday, Decemb...

09/12/2025

University of St. Thomas Ushers in Division I Era With New Arena and a Broadcast Operation Built for the Big Time

University of St. Thomas Ushers in Division I Era With New Arena and a Broadcast...

09/12/2025

Spotify Expands Music Videos in Beta to Premium Users in the US and Canada

For decades, music videos have done more than just accompany a song; they've shaped style, started conversations, and helped us fall in love with our favori...