
Esports World Cup 2025: Inside EFG's Hybrid Production For the complex operation, the emphasis was on scale, integration, localization' By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Thursday, August 14, 2025 - 10:43 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The Olympics of the esports universe are heading into the final stretch. Concluding on Aug. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Esports World Cup, which began July 8, has featured competitions around two dozen gaming titles and a total prize totaling more than $70 million. To produce the eight-week event, ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) deployed a hybrid model combining baseband workflows with ST 2110 architecture.
Describing the Esports World Cup 2025 as merely large' would be an understatement, says George Cristian Ciobanu, head of broadcast engineering, MEA, ESL FACEIT Group, which handled the production. This year's event represents the culmination of over four years of continuous iteration.
The event launched in 2022 as Gamers8 and was rebranded in 2024 as the Esports World Cup (EWC), with each festival expanding in scale, technical depth and creative ambition, he says. What began as an ambitious esports festival has evolved into the most complex and prestigious esports broadcast ever staged.
Performers kicked off the opening ceremony for the FC Pro 25 World Championship at the Esports World Cup. Team Liquid's Manuel ManuBachoore Bachoore eventually defeated Team Vitality's Brice Brice Masson.
This year's EWC, he explains, adopted a hybrid production model that combines traditional baseband workflows with modern SMPTE ST 2110 IP architecture. It has two main server rooms as the key control points of the complex operation, which comprises several buildings housing stages, analyst studios, production galleries, and technical areas.
Global Distribution to 100+ Platforms in Three Primary Languages The distribution model combined public internet and multi-cloud, with points across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific and Japan. In total, the network enabled live-content delivery to 100-plus platforms and partners globally. Ciobanu notes that numerous elements of the broadcast were fully developed in-house but the host broadcast was delivered in close partnership with NEP, which provided key infrastructure and operational support.
For the host broadcast, NEP served as EFG's main production partner to broadcast each stage in English and Arabic. There were four feed variations to support the event's different commercial obligations. A full SMPTE ST 2110 system was installed following the general distribution plans.
In addition, NEP managed about 1,500 video signals across the entire production. The distribution infrastructure was built on an IP fabric featuring Cisco spine architecture. It was managed through NEP's own TFC broadcast-orchestration platform.
EFG's custom-built systems powered the in-game production for the 25 gaming titles via the EVS DYVI vision mixer, and API-driven automations created real-time graphics triggers and automated player-camera switching. The internal broadcast-development team also provided real-time data to manage stage lighting and special effects and to translate gameplay moments into synchronized visual effects on LED screens.
Magnus Carlsen beat Alireza Firouzja to claim the first-ever Chess title at the Esports World Cup.
Grass Valley K-Frame XP switchers served as the central hub for vision mixing. Replays and highlights operations were handled by 32 EVS XT3 and VIA servers. An additional 15 EVS XT3/XT4K units were dedicated to managing time-delay requirements. The Chinese-language production line was managed remotely from Shanghai by Hero Esports, which handled switching, commentary, local graphics, and media-content adaptation in real time using the host broadcast provided by the master control in Saudi Arabia.
The event has 15 fully operational onsite production lines and seven remote workflows running concurrently at peak times. There have been four main stages and three secondary stages for the competitions, with content distributed in English, Arabic, and Chinese as the primary languages. Additionally, there's been support for other in-demand regional languages based on each game title.
Achieving this level of customized output, says Ciobanu, required meticulous planning and a deep commitment to creating tailored broadcast experiences that respect the identity and pacing of each individual game title. It was, by every measure, a logistical and creative feat on a scale previously unseen in competitive gaming.
The overall scope of the event expanded significantly from 2024 to 2025, with more game titles, a fourth main stage, and the introduction of Chinese as a primary broadcast language. EFG created 15 analysts and 18 caster studios, which operated across Riyadh and Shanghai to support multilingual coverage.
Another modification for 2025 is an enhanced Totem area, where winning teams walk to the Totem and insert their key to mark a victory. Now a dedicated area, Ciobanu notes, it has become one of the defining visual elements of the Club Championship.
This new setup, he continues, allowed for more-dramatic staging and camera coverage, turning what was already a meaningful ritual into a powerful, broadcast-driven celebration of each title winner.
Crowds watch a match between Fnatic and Team Heretics at the STC Esports Arena during the Esports World Cup.
From a camera and technical perspective, the EWC was covered by one of the largest camera setups ever for an esports event, according to Ciobanu. EFG deployed 160 OBSBOT Tail 2 POV cameras to capture close-up moments from players and coaches. Additionally, 80 broadcast cameras (GV LDX150 and LDX86N and Sony Venice) 4-wi
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
15/08/2025
WASHINGTON The pay TV and telco industry-backed American Television Alliance told staffers at the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau that the ...
15/08/2025
PHILADELPHIA and SUWANEE, Ga. Hisense and Xumo, the streaming joint venture between Comcast and Charter Communications, have announced the launch of Hisense Cha...
15/08/2025
SURREY, U.K. Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has launched the Cinebot Nano, a motion control robot designed to make professional-grade camera movement more a...
15/08/2025
Of around 7,000 languages in the world, a tiny fraction are supported by AI lang...
14/08/2025
(L-R) Clay Pateneaude, Tabatha Zimiga, Porshia Zimiga, director Kate Beecroft, Leanna Shumpert, Jesse Thorson, and Jennifer Ehle attend the premiere of East o...
14/08/2025
Colombia siempre ha sido potencia en innovaci n musical! Desde la revoluci n del reggaet n en Medell n, pasando por las escenas indie y rockeras en Bogot , y el...
14/08/2025
Colombia has long been a powerhouse of musical innovation. From Medell n's reggaet n revolution to Bogot 's indie and rock scenes and Cali's salsa l...
14/08/2025
As the mercury rises and the days stretch long, Spotify has been turning up the vibrant sounds of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean with our Ver...
14/08/2025
Statement on the passing of David Stratton
14 August, 2025
Insights & articles
Statement by SBS Managing Director, James Taylor
SBS is deeply saddened by...
14/08/2025
The best project was the Olympic Games ever since I was young, I have been passionate about sport and to have the opportunity to be in the Stade de France for ...
14/08/2025
MONTREAL Grass Valley today announced that Sky Network Television, New Zealand's largest pay-TV provider, has chosen Grass Valley' AMPP to overhaul its ...
14/08/2025
MIAMI Telemundo today debuts Telemundo Deportes Ahora, a 24/7 Spanish-language sports FAST channel, on Peacock, Xumo Play, the NBC News FAST hub and Telemundo.c...
14/08/2025
DENVER, Colo. Sports entertainment platform DAZN relied on the MediaKind MK.IO elastic, cloud-native streaming platform to support high-quality streaming of the...
14/08/2025
WASHINGTON The pay-TV and telco industry-backed American Television Alliance told staffers at the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau that the ...
14/08/2025
Kevin Trueblood, current vice president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers has been elected president of the national board for the association for broadcast...
14/08/2025
Performing arts venues have become a destination for memorable entertainment experiences. Technological advancements have helped elevate the in-venue experience...
14/08/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and the Video Services Forum (VSF) today announced the full IP Showcase ...
14/08/2025
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced its lineup of sessions and show highlights for IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, in A...
14/08/2025
Digital Alert Systems, a global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced the promotion of Adam Jones to the position of...
14/08/2025
Clear-Com will showcase a full lineup of intercom innovations for broadcast professionals at IBC2025, taking place September 12-15 in Amsterdam, NL. On display...
14/08/2025
VisualOn, a leader in advanced video optimization technology, today announced a strategic partnership with Anyscreen, a provider of comprehensive live and VOD s...
14/08/2025
STAMFORD, Conn., and LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. NBCUniversal has extended its media rights agreement with the United States Golf Association (USGA) through 2032. Its ...
14/08/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) have released the full ...
14/08/2025
WASHINGTON As the Federal Aviation Administration considers a notice of proposed rulemaking on regulations governing the use of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs...
14/08/2025
LONDON and NEW YORK Charter Communication's ad sales unit Spectrum Reach and tvbeat have announced that they are working together to bring tvbeat's prog...
14/08/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. LG Electronics is now using a multi-lingual text-to-speech solution from Cerence AI to enable its TVs to deliver information via spoken comman...
14/08/2025
The free-ad-support streaming platform, Samsung TV Plus, has unveiled a major upgrade to its user interface and search capabilities, with a new interface, smart...
14/08/2025
LOS ANGELES Hoping to tap into the popularity of short form content, Cineverse and Banyan Ventures, the venture arm of former ABC Entertainment Group and WME Ch...
14/08/2025
MONTREAL Matrox Video will debut its ORIGIN Fabric, designed for developers to share content among media applications using the most efficient available connect...
14/08/2025
Graduate Spotlight: Sofija Zlatanova The educator, who grew up in North Macedonia, shares how her Berklee journey went from viola performance to music educati...
14/08/2025
14 Aug 2025
Ahead of Its Historic Listing on Nasdaq, Kyivstar Group Completes B...
14/08/2025
German Innovation: An In-Depth Look at the DFL's 10K VR Stream of the Superc...
14/08/2025
Esports World Cup 2025: Music Is in the Sport's DNA Entertainment is intrinsic with esports, blending its passion and diversity By Dan Daley, Audio Editor ...
14/08/2025
Stress test: SailGP embraces real-time cloud workflows for Portsmouth event By Joe OHalloran
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - 10:15
Print This Story
Emirates Gr...
14/08/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: EZDRM's Olga Kornienko on Digital Rights Manageme...
14/08/2025
Esports World Cup 2025: Inside EFG's Hybrid Production For the complex operation, the emphasis was on scale, integration, localization' By Mark J Burn...
14/08/2025
Esports World Cup: IMG puts a Spotlight on innovation as esports goes mainstream...
14/08/2025
Thursday 14 August 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To do so, click Privacy Options below and Accept All
Privacy options
Full Tra...
14/08/2025
Thursday 14 August 2025
All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook, Dakota Fanning, Jak...
14/08/2025
The next wave of test and measurement: Rohde & Schwarz to highlight its solution...
14/08/2025
Back to All News
Netflix More Than Doubles US Upfront Commitment and Secures Gl...
14/08/2025
Deploying Scalable, Hybrid Cloud Solutions to Deliver High-Quality UHD Content and Accelerate Channel Growth
MONTREAL, CANADA - August 14, 2025 - Grass Valley,...
14/08/2025
Toronto-based integrated solutions provider to drive Cinegy's software-defined television technology across Canada's media and entertainment sector
Mun...
14/08/2025
NVIDIA is partnering with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a...
14/08/2025
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is marching onto GeForce NOW,...
13/08/2025
Spotify and Kobalt, the world's largest independent music publisher, have entered into a direct, multiyear licensing agreement designed to deliver greater f...
13/08/2025
A vibrant blend of pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and rock, K-Pop is more than just a genre in Mexico-it's a way of life. With more than 14 million K-Pop fa...
13/08/2025
Con una mezcla vibrante de pop, hip-hop, R&B, electr nica y rock, el K-Pop en M xico no es solo un g nero: es una forma de vida. Con m s de 14 millones de fans ...