“Appear was the ideal solution on the market that met our demanding requirements for high-density encoding and delivery of AVC/HEVC signals to and from our new, cutting-edge broadcast facilities. The native ability to exchange these feeds directly with our 2110 IP networks has allowed us to greatly simplify a workflow that previously required an additional layer of IP gateway devices.”

James Wyld, Principal Infrastructure Engineer at Riot Games

Context

In a move to elevate its global esports productions, Riot Games, a world-leading game developer and esports organisation, has partnered with Appear to support the live contribution and delivery of broadcast feeds for its premier esports events. Riot’s broadcast productions for League of Legends Esports (LoL Esports) and the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) reach millions of viewers annually, both in person and virtually, setting a high standard for global esports engagement. Appear’s X Platform has been deployed as a core component of Riot’s production workflow to support its ambitious global broadcast scale, starting with Riot’s state-of-the-art Remote Broadcast Center (RBC) in Dublin, Ireland.

Challenge

Riot Games required a cutting-edge media processing solution to support its advanced, IP-based remote broadcast workflow, which would:

Deliver high-density AVC/HEVC feed encoding and decoding to facilitate high-quality, low-latency video contribution and distribution.
Seamlessly integrates with its SMPTE 2110 IP network and simplifies workflows previously dependent on SDI-only solutions.
Support flexible delivery options across diverse network types, offering resilience and redundancy for broadcasts reaching a global audience.

With these goals in mind, Riot selected Appear’s X Platform for its advanced features, including high-density, low latency encoding and native IP support, which are essential for delivering uninterrupted, high-quality video streams at scale.

Solutions

Appear’s X Platform has been deployed as a core component of Riot’s production workflow to support its ambitious global broadcast scale, starting with Riot’s state-of-the-art Remote Broadcast Center (RBC) in Dublin, Ireland. Riot first utilized Appear’s X Platform at the 2023 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), held at London’s Copper Box Arena. The X Platform was deployed to encode and deliver live HD feeds from this high-profile event, where millions of fans tuned in as JD Gaming claimed victory. Appear’s solution provided Riot with high-quality, low-latency AVC/HEVC encoding and decoding capabilities, facilitating stable video streams across its global audience.

Key deployment features:

SMPTE 2110 native connectivity: Enabled direct exchange of feeds within Riot’s IP network, reducing complexity by eliminating the need for additional IP gateway devices.
High-density HEVC encoding and decoding: Supported robust, low-latency live streaming with reduced power consumption, making it operationally efficient and environmentally sustainable.
Resilient multi-network delivery: The X Platform’s ability to encode, package, and deliver over multiple network paths simultaneously offered the redundancy Riot needed for reliable, high-quality global broadcasts.

Result

Appear’s X Platform has enabled Riot Games to simplify and scale its broadcast workflows, providing high-quality, low-latency feeds for global esports events. This initial deployment in Riot’s Dublin RBC is the first phase of a broader implementation, with a second RBC set to launch in Greater Seattle, Washington. These two centers, strategically located eight hours apart, will optimize Riot’s support for global esports events across various time zones.

Simplified workflows and Integration: The X Platform’s native SMPTE 2110 support allowed Riot to eliminate additional gateway devices, streamlining operations.
Operational efficiency: High-density, low-latency HEVC encoding minimized power consumption and optimized performance, crucial for large-scale broadcasts.
Reliability and resilience: Multiple network delivery capabilities provided Riot with the redundancy needed to handle complex, global broadcasts reliably.

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