Europe’s Biggest Newtek Tricaster Production

Live streaming specialists 3xScreen Media were presented with a brief to create online coverage for the inaugural Gfinity eSports competition that was as innovative and game-changing as the event itself. The result was the largest-ever European NewTek TriCaster production.

3xScreen created a 28-input, six program output production using five TriCasters, which was streamed to Twitch.tv and viewed by more than 2.5 million gaming enthusiasts from around the world.

Gfinity London 2013, which took place in London in July, set a benchmark for future eSports events. The best teams from around the world battled for the Call of Duty and League of Legends Championships. The heart-stopping action captured the imagination of the gaming community, enhancing the image of eSports and bringing it into the mainstream.

“This was a ground-breaking eSports event. We required online live coverage to match, including 3D visual effects, virtual sets, graphics and transitions,” says Paul Kent, Gfinity’s Chief Operating Officer. “The brief was to produce broadcast production value programming that was innovative and affordable – a difficult challenge, and exactly what was delivered by 3xScreen.”

Philip Nelson, Chief Relationship Officer at NewTek adds, “NewTek is excited to be the technology behind this highly acclaimed gaming webcast. The portability, ease of use and power found in TriCaster has made it the production system of choice for online events around the world.”

3xScreen Media met Gfinity’s live video production and streaming requirements by using five production pods comprising one TriCaster 8000, two TriCaster 855s and two TriCaster 850s. Together the TriCasters created six program outputs from 28-input sources including fixed and manned cameras, live commentary, game feeds and the master studio. The six program outputs, enhanced with animated graphics and VTs, fed four Twitch.tv live stream channels and event screens.

3xScreen Managing Director Scott Robinson says, “The success of the Gfinity production, measured by viewer figures and feedback, could not have been achieved without TriCaster, which played a fundamental role in our live production and streaming workflow. NewTek TriCaster helped us create programming of a quality that previously required ten times the budget.”