NAB 2019 Perspectives: The Switch's Charles Conroy Says Traditional Sports Broadcasters Can Help But Need To Listen to Esports' Needs Company's new VP of gaming is focused on supporting the space from a genuine' place By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Friday, April 19, 2019 - 11:40 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Esports was a dominating trend at NAB 2019, but few exhibitors put their flag in the ground more dramatically than The Switch. The longtime provider of network connectivity and managed, private cloud services formally introduced The Switch eSports division, which comprises technology and personnel dedicated to integrating esports production, transmission, and distribution from anywhere in the world.
At The Switch's esports activation in the North Hall was recently hired VP, Gaming, Charles Conroy. Joining the company in November, he is a veteran of the esports space, having most recently served as chief development officer for Next Gen Tech, parent company of Complexity Gaming, which was sold to the Dallas Cowboys about two years ago. Conroy is adjusting to life on the technology side and, at NAB 2019, was showing off a newly developed transmission box dedicated to the unique needs of live-esports-content producers and distributors.
Conroy took a few minutes to chat with SVG about his vision for the esports industry, how The Switch is focusing its technology to meet its needs, and why it's so important that the company enter the industry from a genuine place.
The Switch's Charles Conroy: It's the job of the production people to adapt to esports while bringing in the production quality that's expected in traditional sports. I think that's where you see the two worlds really marry.
When did The Switch decide to make this move into esports? What has the effort entailed?
The Switch did BlizzCon and the Overwatch League Finals last year, which was sort of their first foray into esports. Through some traditional sports connections that they had, they were brought in to help produce those events, and they did a great job. [The events] have linear needs that The Switch hit it out of the park with.
A lot of esports is IP-based, so they realized they needed to make a shift to an IP product. They contacted me and brought me in. I had been in esports for 15 years. I was looking for an opportunity to come back into the space working in both the sports world and the esports world. The Switch is a great blend of that. I've started helping develop their esports product, and we did that by going to a lot of tournaments and shows and talking to every tech guy that we could.
One thing that I think is interesting about esports and a fatal [error] that a lot of production companies made in the past is trying to fit the esports model into their traditional sports model. Esports matches aren't a set 90 minutes. It's the job of the production people to adapt to esports while bringing in the production quality that's expected in traditional sports. I think that's where you see the two worlds really marry.
Esports has a need for a lot of the things that traditional sports does, and traditional sports needs to be nimble enough to fill those needs without bringing on the complete traditional sports model, because that's just not an effective way to come in. We made sure not to do that.
We came in from a genuine perspective. We got a lot of information from a lot of people about what products they needed, and we built our esports box that can bring connectivity and can get anyone on network anywhere in the world. We've been sending this to Lisbon and Brazil, streaming both IP and linear.
For a client refresh, we're doing 32 different feeds, sending six or seven clean feeds out that are translated in different languages for casting, and we do that all out of [that box]. We don't need a lot of infrastructure to get that going. We'll take whatever network is there, even if it's public Internet, and get it onto our The Switch network, which is then secured. That has been very popular for them, but it was one of those things where, instead of shoving linear down people's throats, we heard the clients' needs and developed the solution.
What has it been like for you to be on this side of the business, and do you feel that you were able to bring your own expertise in to help build technology that makes it happen?
I will say, there was a really large learning curve. I was coming from sponsorship sales, and I had done some on-camera work. I knew the space really well, but I was never behind the camera. I knew all the guys that were. I came in as an esports expert that was a total production novice. I have a respect for what those knowledge levels need. I was able to meet and learn from all the people I needed to meet and learn from.
I basically got a technical degree in the last four months. The first meeting was super-intimidating because everyone was using abbreviations I had never heard of and it was like they were speaking a different language. I walked out kind of shell-shocked. It has been great since then, though. Our engineers are some of the smartest in the world, and they've been very patient with me. I can bring them in and talk to the right people, and I can keep up with the conversation. It's they who have been able to create what I think is a really cool product, giving me the opportunity to advise how we utilize it, where we deploy it, and how to do that in a genuine way.
What are some of the conversations you are having here at NAB 2019? Are they with novices e looking to understand the space better? Are you seeing a lot of hardcore esports broadcasters looking to take their productions to the next level?
I think it runs the gamut. NAB has the mix, but I've still ha
NAB 2019 Perspectives: The Switch's Charles Conroy Says Traditional Sports Broadcasters Can Help But Need To Listen to Esports' Needs
19/04/2019
| LINK: | https://www.sportsvideo.org/2019/04/19/nab-2019-perspectives-the-switc... |
| See more stories from svg |
Most recent headlines
03/06/2020
Kinly buys AVMI
L-R: Ed Cook, CEO of AVMI and Robbert Bakker, CEO of Kinly Kinly has announced the acquisition of AVMI, an AV-integrator and managed services provider, headqu...
03/06/2020
Researchers develop self-healing material for...
The NUS research team and the HELIOS material: Assistant Professor Benjamin Tee (centre). Mr Wang Guanxiang (left), and Dr Tan Yu Jun (right) A research team f...
03/06/2020
Euro Media Group strengthens management structure in the UK
Euro Media Group strengthens management structure in the UK posted: 02/06/2020 Euro Media Group, one of Europe's leading provider of broadcast facilit...
03/06/2020
Quarantine Cook-along with AEG
Quarantine Cook-along with AEG posted: 02/06/2020 Aiming to help inspire the increasing number of people in lockdown turning to cooking and baking, AEG coll...
03/06/2020
PBS to Address Race and Racism in America Through Broadcast and Streaming Content
RACE MATTERS: AMERICA IN CRISIS: A PBS NEWSHOUR SPECIAL Premieres Friday, June 5...
03/06/2020
SOS launches 3 Podcast channels
SOS recently launched three different Podcast channels that feature regular shows hosted by our editorial staff and a team of expert freelancers. The Recording...
03/06/2020
Screen Australia announces $2.1 million of production funding for 14 documentaries
03 06 2020 - Media release Screen Australia announces $2.1 million of production...
03/06/2020
New S710 Streaming Machine Vision Camera
Vision Research, leading manufacturer of Phantom High-Speed cameras, introduces the newest addition to its family of High-Speed Machine Vision Cameras, the Phan...
03/06/2020
FUEL TV relies on VSN's solutions to cement its international expansion
VSN has been in charge of implementing several of its systems for the Portuguese channel, which besides needing an archive solution to manage years of content, ...
03/06/2020
Spotify Stands With the Black Community in the Fight Against Racism and Injustice
June 2 is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from work meant to h...
03/06/2020
AFP contributor Nabil Hasan al-Quaety killed in Yemen
The 34-year-old videojournalist and photographer, who also worked for other major news organisations, was shot in his car by as-yet-unknown assailants shortly a...
03/06/2020
Telemetrics Adds New AI and Facial Tracking Improvements to Innovative Automatic Shot Correction Technology
Productions Benefit From Error-Free Workflows Done Cost-Effectively, Consistentl...
02/06/2020
AstroDJMC
Astro DJ MC Date Released:28 May 2020 Share Tweet 28 2 Astro Radio MY MELODY GOXUAN DJ MC 2...
02/06/2020
Fujifilm's Operation Workstation During the Pandemic with SYNAPSE Home Reporting
Fujifilm's Operation Workstation During the Pandemic with SYNAPSE Home Re...
02/06/2020
Telefnica Deutschland selects Ericsson 5G core for network of the future
As part of the agreement, Telef nica Deutschland, which operates under the O2 brand in Germany, will implement a completely independent 5G core network with ful...
02/06/2020
Ericsson commences the three-year term of the monitorship
As previously communicated, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has entered into a three-year Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the U.S. Department of Justice. As p...
02/06/2020
Bell Canada selects Ericsson as a 5G partner
Ericsson Radio System products and solutions will be rolled out as Bell Canada expands its 5G coverage including an expected boost following the auction 3.5 G...
02/06/2020
Bodyguard entertains new audiences during lockdown
Bodyguard entertains new audiences during lockdown Second Window rights to BBC One's Most-Watched Drama Since Records Began Snapped Up by Worldwide Buyers ...
02/06/2020
Progress Awarded 2020 SoftwareReviews Gold Medal for Managed File Transfer
PDF Version <...
02/06/2020
Stephanie Lynch-Habib Makes Capacity Magazine's Power 100
GSMA CMO Hailed as a driving force for the entire telecommunications industry' London: GSMA Chief Marketing Officer, Stephanie Lynch-Habib, has been named...
02/06/2020
Long-Time LPTV Champion Mike Gravino Dies
Mike Gravino, managing director of the Next Gen TV Coalition, died May 30, succumbing to pancreatic cancer after entering hospice care. Gravino, a champion of ...
02/06/2020
Comcast, Charter, ViacomCBS Partner on Blockgraph
NEW YORK-The trio of Comcast, Charter Communications and ViacomCBS have announced that they will share equal ownership of Blockgraph, a software platform design...
02/06/2020
FCC Speeds Up C-Band Clearing for 5G
WASHINGTON-FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has announced that the opening of C-band spectrum for 5G services will go ahead on an accelerated timeline, having received com...
02/06/2020
PSSI Utilizes C-Band to Transmit The Match II'
VAN NUYS, Calif.-Helping to bring one of the first major live sporting events back to TV, PSSI Global Services used C-band transmission vehicles to provide prim...
02/06/2020
SMPTE Updates IMF Standards Documents
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers have released several revisions of the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) standards doc...
02/06/2020
Producing From Home - Graphics Edition: Technologies Being Deployed for At-Home Production Today
Producing From Home - Graphics Edition: Technologies Being Deployed for At-Home ...
02/06/2020
LiveU Goes All-In on 5G With New LU800 Field Production Unit
LiveU Goes All-In on 5G With New LU800 Field Production Unit Solution was built with 5G and sports-content producers at its core By Brandon Costa, Director of ...
02/06/2020
EBU Lessons from Lockdown: Exploring Sport Broadcasting
EBU Lessons from Lockdown: Exploring Sport Broadcasting...
02/06/2020
The EU's Digital Services Act: how the EBU will fly the flag for Public Service Media
The EU's Digital Services Act: how the EBU will fly the flag for Public Serv...
02/06/2020
Ross Launches softGearTM - The Latest Software-Defined Platform for Audio, Video and Metadata Processing
Ottawa, Canada, June 2nd 2020 - As part of the Ross Live | 2020 program, Ross is...
02/06/2020
AJA HELO Helps Transport Audiences to Salesforce's Virtual World Tour Sydney
AJA HELO Helps Transport Audiences to Salesforce's Virtual World Tour Sydney posted: 02/06/2020 Innovation, education and community drive Salesforce'...
02/06/2020
Novatech recognised nationally at the Meetings & Events Australia Awards
Novatech recognised nationally at the Meetings & Events Australia Awards posted: 02/06/2020 Big Bash NYE Novatech Creative Event Technology were honoured...
02/06/2020
Stay-at-home deals: updated Tuesday 2nd June
Software to keep you sane during self-isolation Staying sane during social isolation isn't easy, but a number of software companies have stepped up to t...
02/06/2020
TVU Networks and rsquo; New Feature for Social Production Enables Real-time Virtual Communication and Interaction Among Production Crew and Talent
TVU Networks, a technology and market leader in IP and cloud based live video so...
02/06/2020
A1now selects Vionlabs and rsquo; AI-powered solution for personalized viewing recommendations
Vionlabs, the industry leading provider of AI-powered content analysis, today an...
02/06/2020
Grass Valley Launches the GVX Customer Council
Grass Valley underlines its leadership in driving innovation through collaboration with the launch of GVX, a council of customers selected from the media indust...
02/06/2020
Custom Consoles Module-R Desks and MediaWalls Chosen for Fidelity International
Custom Consoles announces the completion of two studio control desks and MediaWall monitor displays for a new UHD production facility at the London headquarters...
02/06/2020
AVer Europe CAM340+ Helps Small Business in Lockdown
AVer Europe, a leading manufacturer of video conferencing solutions, is enabling small businesses to survive and thrive during lockdown. Surrey-based personal t...
02/06/2020
PSSI leverages C-band spectrum to engineer challenging transmission of The Match II
With rainy weather all day and no fiber availability on-site, The Match II cha...
02/06/2020
Quarantine Cook-along with AEG
Aiming to help inspire the increasing number of people in lockdown turning to cooking and baking, AEG collaborated with video production company Monarki Stockho...
02/06/2020
Krishnendu Majumdar appointed BAFTA Chair
Succeeds Pippa Harris in the role By Jenny Priestley Published: June 2, 2020 Succeeds Pippa Harris in the role target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn clas...
02/06/2020
TiVo, Xperi form new media tech company
Follows merger of the two companies By Jenny Priestley Published: June 2, 2020 Follows merger of the two companies target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn ...
02/06/2020
TF1 kicks off new football channel
New channel expected to launch in August By Jenny Priestley Published: June 2, 2020 New channel expected to launch in August target=_blank title=Share on...
02/06/2020
Peter Simpson appointed Freesat CTO
Peter Simpson tasked with overseeing companys products, engineering and operations teams By Jenny Priestley Published: June 2, 2020 Peter Simpson tasked wi...
02/06/2020
Philips PDS appoints former Barco product...
Philips Professional Display Solutions has announced the appointment of Sian Rees as its new global product manager - software. With a career spanning nearly ...
02/06/2020
AVIXA releases Rack Design for Audiovisual...
AVIXA has announced the release of its standard, Rack Design for Audiovisual (AV) Systems (F502.02:2020), which outlines the requirements for AV rack planning, ...
02/06/2020
One in 10 think touchscreens are hygienic
Research by natural user interface company, Ultraleap, in late April and early May, has found major concerns about touching public screens at self-service, supe...
02/06/2020
Sahara appoints Mark Starkey as CEO
Sahara Presentations Group, has announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Mark Starkey as CEO. The appointment of Starkey follows another year of fina...
