Riedel technology was deployed to support communications and signal distribution for the Esports World Cup in Paris, a seven-week live production spanning eight stages and broadcasts in 35 languages.
Held from 6 July to 23 August 2026, the event brought together more than 2,000 players from 200 clubs, competing for a total prize pool of $75 million.
ESL Faceit Group worked with Charco, Gravity Media and Riedel Communications to deliver the production infrastructure, with Arri camera systems supporting the main-stage production.
Each of the eight competition stages operated as a fully equipped broadcast environment, with dedicated operators and production managers preparing content for the world feed. Linking those systems to four production areas, central broadcast facilities and supporting technical spaces required an integrated communications and signal distribution backbone.
ESL Faceit Group and Charco designed and deployed the on-site intercom infrastructure using a Riedel system comprising five Artist-1024 frames, 341 Bolero beltpacks, 79 Bolero antennas and 330 SmartPanels.
According to Riedel, the deployment achieved several world firsts, including the highest density of Bolero wireless intercom beltpacks ever deployed in a single enclosed venue.
Running up to 341 Bolero beltpacks simultaneously created one of the project’s most demanding technical challenges. The team used detailed RF planning, Bolero’s Frequency Scanner functionality and additional frequency spectrum made available by the French National Frequency Agency.
Seven dedicated scanner antennas continuously monitored the RF environment during production, allowing the technical team to identify and manage potential interference before it affected operations.
Mateusz Kaluza, lead audio and intercom engineer at ESL Faceit Group, described the dependable operation of communications in such a dense RF environment as “a remarkable technical achievement”, with Charco’s intercom engineers playing a critical role in supporting users across the venue.
Gravity Media was responsible for the tournament’s central video infrastructure, deploying more than 140 Riedel MediorNet MicroN UHD units. Riedel said this formed the largest temporary MicroN UHD network ever deployed.
The MediorNet units were interconnected through a centralised core and distributed across the competition stages, four production areas and additional technical support facilities. The infrastructure carried signals from more than 300 camera sources, as well as gameplay and graphics feeds.
Peter Newton, director media services and facilities at Gravity Media, said the distributed MediorNet infrastructure allowed the team to route signals between a wide range of production areas and adapt the system to the event’s operational requirements.
The main stage featured six Arri camera systems, including Alexa 35 Live cameras, alongside Trinity, Steadicam, Spidercam, Technocranes and cable- and rail-mounted systems.
Integrated into the MediorNet infrastructure, the camera systems were used to deliver cinematic live images, while camera operators were also equipped with Bolero beltpacks to connect image acquisition, signal transport and crew communications within the same Riedel technology environment.
Fabian Leimbach, VP production technology at ESL Faceit Group, said the scale and complexity of the Esports World Cup placed “exceptional demands” on the production, with Gravity Media, Charco, Arri and Riedel providing the technical foundation for the international broadcast teams.