Esports production is shifting from traditional SDI-based routing to software-defined, IP-based workflows to manage complex, multi-platform distribution requirements. Systems integrators emphasize that infrastructure must be designed for low-latency signal transport and high-volume output to support professional gaming environments.
The transition to software-defined production reflects a broader convergence between pro-AV and broadcast sectors, where flexibility outweighs fixed hardware limitations. By utilizing generic servers instead of proprietary SDI gear, organizers can scale from a single broadcast to dozens of bespoke feeds for international partners and social media creators. This shift allows publishers to better monetize content through targeted ad insertion and localized streams that were previously cost-prohibitive. As traditional sports increasingly adopt these agile methodologies, the industry should watch for a decline in specialized hardware sales in favor of high-performance network infrastructure and cloud-native processing tools.
Extron has been deploying its NAV Pro AV-over-IP platform specifically in esports venues, demonstrating how the SDI-to-IP transition described in this article is being implemented in practice. At Middle Tennessee State University's LEVEL Up Esports arena, Extron's NAV Pro AVoIP system handles visually lossless 4K video distribution over 1 Gbps Ethernet, connecting gaming PCs, coaching stations, and POV cameras to a scalable network that feeds dual SMP 352 streaming media processors for live league competition broadcasts. The deployment pairs NAV E 121 encoders with NAV SD 101 scaling decoders and TouchLink Pro control panels, illustrating the exact software-defined signal management architecture that Rainer Stiehl describes as essential for esports facilities managing dozens of simultaneous outputs.
The shift toward IP-based esports production is not limited to pro-AV integrators. Riot Games, which operates two Remote Broadcast Centers (in Dublin and Seattle) for producing and distributing esports content, streamlined production of Valorant Champions Paris using an ST 2110 flypack connected to its Dublin facility powered by AWS. That deployment demonstrates how even the largest esports publishers are adopting SMPTE ST 2110, the broadcast industry's IP transport standard, to achieve the same flexibility and scalability that Edigma and Diversified advocate for venue-level esports production. The convergence of pro-AV AV-over-IP systems like Extron's NAV with broadcast-grade ST 2110 infrastructure confirms Pete Emminger's observation that esports and traditional broadcast workflows are technically converging.
The software tools central to this transition, including vMix, OBS Studio, and Streamlabs, have matured from grassroots streaming utilities into professional production platforms. Emminger notes that vMix began as a low-level production tool in the esports space and has since become professionalized, reflecting a broader pattern where software running on generic servers replaces dedicated hardware. This trajectory mirrors what Extron's NAV platform delivers at the infrastructure layer: replacing fixed SDI matrices with flexible IP networks that can scale source and destination counts without hardware redesign, enabling the multi-language, multi-platform output model that Activision Blizzard pioneered with 15 simultaneous language feeds.
Esports production is shifting from traditional SDI hardware to IP-based software workflows to support high-volume, multi-platform streaming. By utilizing AV-over-IP networks and software like vMix and OBS, organizers can scale content delivery, manage localized language feeds, and improve monetization, reflecting a broader industry convergence between professional AV and broadcast sectors.
Esports productions are shifting to IP-based workflows because they offer greater flexibility and scalability compared to fixed SDI hardware, allowing organizers to manage dozens of dynamic feeds for international partners and social media platforms.
Production teams are increasingly using software platforms such as vMix, OBS Studio, and Streamlabs to handle complex, multi-language distribution requirements.
Integrators manage latency by adding multi-minute buffers to prevent 'stream cheating' while maintaining 20ms thresholds for in-venue production.
AV-over-IP systems, such as Extron's NAV Pro, replace fixed SDI matrices with flexible networks that connect gaming PCs, coaching stations, and cameras, enabling scalable video distribution over Ethernet.
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