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Integral support role at Riot Games’ worldwide remote broadcast centres
Mumbai: Appear, the global leader in media processing and delivery technology, announced today that their technology will support Riot Games and its live global esports remote broadcasts. Riot’s award-winning esports broadcast productions across League of Legends esports (LoL Esports) and the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) are consumed by millions each year both physically and virtually, bringing joy and next-level engagement to esports fans around the world.
As a world-leading game developer, publisher, and esports organisation dedicated to being the most player-focused company in the world, Riot’s commitment to levelling up its esports productions led to the development of its first Remote Broadcast Center, Powered by AWS in 2022. Launched under the codename “Project Stryker,” this state-of-the-art facility located in Dublin, Ireland will utilise Appear’s X Platform to support the production, broadcast, and translation of both LoL Esports and VCT broadcasts at a global and regional scale.
Riot first deployed the X Platform to support the 2023 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), the first international competition of the annual LoL Esports calendar. Taking place at the Copper Box Arena in London in May 2023, fans were treated to a real spectacle as the Chinese team JD Gaming came out on top in the final match, beating fellow Chinese team Bilibili Gaming to take home the trophy. The event proved to be one of LoL Esports’s most popular and watched editions, with a peak viewership of just under 2.3 million.
Appear’s X Platform is a key component to live AVC/HEVC feed contribution and delivery from Riot’s next-generation remote broadcast centre due to its high-quality, low-latency capabilities. Appear’s SMPTE 2110 native connectivity for AVC/HEVC encoders and decoders, with SMPTE 2022-7 and NMOS support, enabled Riot to seamlessly migrate from its previous SDI-only solution, bringing greater density, lower power consumption, and simplified management. The first Appear platforms were configured to perform high-density HEVC encoding and decoding, resulting in robust and secure high-quality video streaming with reduced latency, providing more stable video streaming at scale. Riot Games will continue its global deployment of Appear’s X Platform to support high-capacity remote productions utilising transport stream over IP with FEC (TSoIP), and SRT gateways where needed to support different network types.
“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,” said Riot Games principal infrastructure engineer James Wyld. “More specifically, 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.”
“In addition to this, being able to encode, package, and deliver over multiple network paths simultaneously adds a layer of resilience that our broadcasts require. We run a mix of different delivery strategies to support our productions across the globe, and having a flexible platform allows us to support multiple scenarios in the field. While our facilities are entirely IP based, we need to support a mix of technologies to acquire our feeds in-venue, so relying on the same tools for both SDI and IP workflows makes our complex workflows easier to manage for our operators.”
This is just the first deployment of a global implementation that will see Riot Games utilise Appear’s X Platform for high-capacity remote productions. Appear’s solutions will also be on hand as part of the second Remote Broadcast Center, powered by AWS that is scheduled to come online later this year in the Greater Seattle, Washington, USA area. Strategically placed in time zones eight hours apart, these two RBCs will align to provide more seamless production support for Riot’s future esports productions happening at various locations and times around the world.
Appear’s general manager of North America, Ed McGivern, when discussing the scale and excitement of the project, said: “We had previously shadowed the production operations of major League of Legends tournaments over multiple types of networks and had received nothing but positive results and feedback. We’re excited to be the trusted partner to deliver this content at scale and support Riot Games’ global network of remote productions – helping set the quality and value benchmarks for esports.”
The scale and excitement around Riot Games’ esports competitions is a key indicator of the global momentum the esports industry is enjoying today. By leveraging Appear’s dense, robust, and efficient solutions, Riot’s Games is secure in the knowledge that its high-value content will reach its destination and can focus on what it does best – putting on world-renowned premium esports events watched by millions.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
