--
For over two decades, San Diego-based CBT Systems, a video production, and broadcast integrator has built studios and launched some of the biggest brands you can think of from the NFL Network, the MLB Network, YouTube production studios around the world as well as Facebook's television studios. Now, the broadcast integrator has added another high-profile brand to their list of credits, Las Vegas' new HyperX e-Sports arena, a 30,000 square foot entertainment facility located in the Luxor Hotel.
CBT Systems came to the project in October 2018, but the project actually started in March 2018, so we were late to the start-up, explained Darrell Wenhardt, President of CBT Systems. We had done the RIOT games in the past and know that creating an e-sports arena is challenging. A typical AV contractor is not the right entity to accomplish what is needed. You need a broadcast systems integrator because they are familiar with video production technology and the professional equipment needed to produce the professional level of quality in a broadcast or live stream that people expect.
Las Vegas' new HyperX e-Sports arena is truly an entertainment facility with everything from a merchandise sales area, throwback games, a hospitality area where visitors can get bar and food service as well as 200 advanced gaming systems where people can play on their own or interactively with those around them. It is outfitted with large LED screens as well as a production-control room, a 1,000-sq.-ft. studio, and an observer area. But the entertainment facility's transformation from the former LAX nightclub to a dedicated e-Sports arena featured some unique challenges.
Within a space like this, there are many challenges because you must plan for the television audience as well as the live audience. These challenges range from the layout of the space, the acoustics, the lighting, and the broadcast. In the former LAX nightclub, the lack of acoustical treatment caused the sound to be loud and unintelligible. Within the Esports environment, intelligibility is very important because the Arena announcers actually provide a Live Call of the Game. The next challenge is lighting. We had to light the production and studio set for both in house experience and television production. On the television side, you have cameras with long lenses that require very solid support, and for that, we turned to Cartoni.
To accommodate the studio and live-production areas, CBT Systems outfitted the new HyperX Esports Arena with a range of Cartoni camera supports, including three Cartoni P20 pedestals with Focus 22 heads outfitted with Sony cameras and Canon lenses, a Focus 18 tripod system as well as six Cartoni PTZ tripods.
We had a history with Cartoni from our previous success with YouTube Production Studios in New York and Los Angeles, where we have both the large P-90 Pedestals and the smaller P-20 Pedestals. We chose Cartoni for two reasons, explained Wenhardt. One is because of the high quality and reliability of the equipment, and number two is because of the incredible service. Of all the major manufacturers out there for camera support equipment, whether it's Sachtler, Vinten, nobody across the country can give you the personalized service and support that you get with the Cartoni product.
E-sports, or competitive video gaming, is one of the fastest growing trends in the world. The sport has grown from competitive events that pop-up temporarily in warehouses to a growing number of dedicated e-sports arenas around the world. And according to Wenhardt, the reason for the growth and popularity is the unified platform.
This isn't like the NFL or major league baseball, which is really only done in the United States, said Wenhardt. CBS was thrilled to have some 100 million viewers for the most recent Super Bowl. On a typical night, some of the e-sports companies like Blizzard and Riot games will have 45 million people watching this stuff, and that's around the world. I think there's this appeal around the world to this new generation.
So where is the future of e-sports heading with more arenas popping up?
Certainly, you are going to see more e-sports arenas both nationally and internationally. I think from the large corporation standpoint they see the opportunity to fill up seats in an arena and a hotel, but eventually, there will be a betting component in this whole thing.
Visit Cartoni and Manios Digital at NAB 2019 at Booth C9020. Register for free using code LV2933.
###
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/07/2026
BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...
02/07/2026
Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...
02/07/2026
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...
02/07/2026
Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...
02/07/2026
TwelveLabs, a video intelligence company, has announced $100 million in Series B funding co-led by NEA and NAVER Ventures, with participation from Amazon, Radic...
02/07/2026
The Pro Padel League (PPL) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports that will air five PPL championship matches on CNBC during the 2026 season, the...
02/07/2026
LiveLike, a digital fan engagement platform, has announced eight confirmed FIFA ...
02/07/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Future's Best of Show Award, presented by AV Technology at InfoComm 2026, for its blueCORE family of standalone signal processor...
02/07/2026
Synamedia has announced the appointment of Dr. Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transition...
02/07/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) and Sony Group Corporation have announced an expanded collaboration for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), taking place in Paris, Fra...
02/07/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ( Z') has announced exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the Bundesliga in India for five years, beginning with the...
02/07/2026
An effort uniting News, Sports, Local, and Telemundo, the 50+-camera live produc...
02/07/2026
Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Ben Wang appe...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
02/07/2026
Aims to simplify additive synthesis
Sine Machine is the debut launch from Melatonin, a Vienna-based developer who have spent the past six years creating wha...
02/07/2026
Products to remain fully active & supported
Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visua...
02/07/2026
What you missed!
Last weekend, Saturday 27 June 2026, saw the debut of Sound On Sounds new GearExpo UK event, the largest dedicated pro-audio event to take ...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Following the successful launch of its inaugural APAC Mentoring Programme last month, the Rise AV APAC Regional Council will bring the conversation around mento...
02/07/2026
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Used to Shoot Director Takahisa Zeze's Cry Out
Brie Clayton July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Highly mobile camera supports tense and de...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions acquires BFE, expanding its lead in European broadcast, medi...
02/07/2026
Berklee Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's 250th Anniversar...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
-- 
