From tournament to your TV: how esports work on screen
A broadcast behind-the-scenes changed my view on live gaming
I’d never really given much thought as to what goes on behind the scenes of a esports live stream. Sure, we’ve come a long way from bedroom broadcasting, but it turns out there’s even more tech hidden behind that big black stage backdrop than you might expect.
Picking my way through a tangle of power cables at Integrated Systems Europe, or ISE, the Esports Arena control room rolled into view. This makeshift workspace is a proper (though temporary) structure that houses lots of people and even more computers. It’s predominantly a Windows environment, with quite literally rack upon rack of PCs all topped off with more monitors than my local electrical retailers.
None of this includes the onstage setups, for as many as five teammates a side depending on the game. Then there’s the pundit area, the commentary booth, and the observers – essentially virtual cameramen (or women) who position the in-game camera to get cinematic shots.
Connecting the computers and screens are seemingly miles of cables, and the whole shebang is plumbed into an industrial-grade power source. The other part of the equation is bandwidth, and lots of it. That wasn’t in short supply at ISE 2025, which is now held in Spain after outgrowing its original home in the Netherlands.
Everybody has heard of CES, the annual tech fest held in Las Vegas. Most folks have also heard of MWC, which takes place every year in Barcelona. However, less people seem to know about ISE, which is held at Fira Barcelona too. Billed as the leading show for the systems integration and audiovisual industry, ISE used to be focused more towards business and commercial users than Joe Public. That has changed for 2025, with more here to tempt everyday gadget and gaming fans.
Esports viewers are a big part of that, with arena demonstrations showing off big-name competition throughout the event.
I assumed most of the staff in the back rooms either came from a TV background, or grew up with gaming. As it turns out, manning a live esports broadcast requires a cocktail of unusual characters with an even more unusual combination of skill sets. Sure, there are gamers present, but a big part of pulling the puzzle together, packaging it and presenting the live event in a workable format worldwide, requires folks with incredible organisational skills.
There are multiple viewing angles to be considered, there are vast suites of computer-generated graphics to drop in. And, of course, the whole thing has got to look slick and professional to audiences around the globe. Oh, and in the case of LaLiga or MotoGP events, you need to have people with a vast knowledge of the sport itself in order to make the virtual matches or races seem authentic.
As the engineer rolled through just how complex a matter this is, I felt my brain starting to hurt as he took me on an ever deeper dive into the machinations of running an outside broadcast. Back out front on the live stage, playing seemed like a much simpler proposition – and watching from the audience even easier.
Rob Clymo
