EA unveils new esports broadcast studio

Electronic Arts (EA) has today announced a new state-of-the-art esports broadcast studio at its headquarters in Redwood City, California. The EA Broadcast Studio will be used to host esports tournaments, starting with the Madden NFL 19 Challenge. 

The EA Broadcast Studio features two main studios, the competitive area and a player lounge. The studio includes touch screen analysis and 360-degree visual sets with sections for audience seating. The player’s lounge has been designed to mimic a New York outfitted with robot cams and directional microphones to catch all the backstage moments. The broadcast studio also features over 60 screens and monitors, 200 light fixtures, a green screen, a 4-person caster desk, and a state-of-the-art control room. 

Todd Sitrin, EA’s Senior Vice President of the Competitive Gaming Division commented that “This is a big statement that EA is committed to being a broadcast media content creation company. This is a monumental moment. It furthers our commitment to competitive gaming for years to come.”

“The broadcast center and studio has a focus on running competitions, but it also will have all of the other show content, like analyst shows, lifestyle profiles — the things you see around traditional sports. We knew for us to be a leader in competitive gaming, we needed to increase both the quantity and quality of content we were producing.”

The studio will officially open its doors from March 15th to 17th during the Madden NFL 19 Challenge, where 16 finalists will face off for a $190,000 (~£143,000) prize purse and a seat at the Madden NFL 19 Bowl. 

Esports Insider says: This is very exciting news from EA who have continually proved their commitment to esports. Having a set broadcast location will allow EA to continually host more and more esports tournaments. Ed Chang who is the Director of Business Strategy at EA Competitive Gaming will be at ESI NYC on April 23rd.