Panasonic AW-HN40H TV Technology: Guide to Sports Production - Page 5

The Esports Arena Las Vegas crowd reacts during play at Ninja Vegas 18. that owns controlling interest in Santa Monica, Calif.-based Team Liquid, and directly owns Wizards District Gaming, making the Wizards one of the 17 NBA [of 30] franchises that have boarded the esports bandwagon. Parnajape said MSE is planning to host eSports events at the Wizards' as-yet-unnamed 3,500-seat practice facility that's opening later this year in Southeast Washington. "We haven't held any eSports events at [D.C.'s largest indoor venue] Capital One Arena, but that's not due to lack of interest," he said. "The scheduling hasn't worked out." Parnajape added that there have been events at smaller venues in the D.C. area. The new Southeast arena-home of NBA team Washington Wizards' practice facility-will be "a good size for a weekly or monthly gathering that we think will eventually develop into [a large event] we can hold at Capital One." Other observers share those expectations. "In the next five years, I would not be surprised to see the Capital One Arena segue into more of an eSports arena, with a jumbo scoreboard, and host different events," said James Bittner, marketing director for the year-old American College eSports League. "With the additions of virtual reality and augmented reality, gaming events could turn into something bigger." WITH THE FLOW While the hope in the U.S. is to start filling more 18,000+-seat arenas with fans, massive crowds have already posted huge at various locales, said Frank Ishizaki, general manager and executive producer with Ultimate Media Ventures, in Huntington Beach, Calif. "Events are routinely held in South Korea that require a football-sized stadium, and that's started to happen [stateside] in recent years," Ishizaki said, adding that they've aired not only on Twitch, but on ESPN and other networks. "The Staples Center [the large indoor sports venue in L.A.] has sold out for these events." As futuristic as the scene is, Ishizaki said eSports still needs to be thought of in a traditional manner. "In terms of flow, the events unfold in just that way, with traditional high-end cameras. The cuts to computer feeds during games are the only major difference. "One of the things we're proud of here is the broadcastquality infrastructure, [which allows] game publishers and networks to broadcast an event here in high quality, in a turnkey way." -Drew Ohlmeyer, Allied Esports International eSports production isn't yet on the level of the four major league sports, Ishizaki said. "The takeaway here is that, like anything else, budget usually determines the workflow," he said. "Tech-wise, you have a range spanning from the desktop to full-blown televised event. While big-budget events can afford high-end traditional broadcast gear, smaller budgets that [call for] consumer cameras and software-based technical solutions can still create a great production." [5] TV TECHNOLOGY