In 2024, the eSports industry is thriving with a market size surpassing $2.39 billion and a captivating viewership of 640 million, driving growth that draws substantial investments from leading brands and media entities worldwide. Playing a significant role in the eSports industry, GRID Esports stands out by exclusively working with official data and live video through partnerships with game developers.
Real-time streaming is critical to providing timely and accurate data to users. Often, these real-time video streams are cross compared with live data feeds to confirm certain action occurrences. A delay of either could lead to asynchronicity and directly impact event validation, effectively causing customers to lose money in real time.
In this case study, we’ll explore the specific business challenges presented by GRID Esports that prompted the need for Dolby real-time streaming solution.
Business Need
Enable the collection and distribution of official eSports broadcast video with ultra-low latency, which is essential for delivering a high-quality viewer experience and enabling real-time engagement for GRID Esports’ clients – tournament organizers, betting, and media companies.
| Challenges | Solutions | GRID Esports’ results |
|---|---|---|
| Collect and distribute official real-time eSports video and deliver a high-quality viewer experience. | Using our unique CDN, Dolby real-time streaming solution provided a scalable solution for ultra-low-latency video distribution with up to 4K resolution. | Customers noticed significant improvements in latency and delivery consistency across all the titles supported by GRID Esports. |
| Enable real-time engagement for our clients – tournament organizers, betting, and media companies. | Our WebRTC experts streamlined the integration of an interactive streaming solution, ensuring sub-500ms end-to-end latency. | Viewers reported higher satisfaction, enhancing product value for end customers. |
| Ensure stream quality and security for fan-facing apps, websites, and highly sensitive sportsbooks’ operations. | Key features like Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) were easily implemented. | By deploying ABR, video playback dynamically adjusted to varying network conditions, while Digital Rights Management (DRM) provided robust content protection. |
| Ingest an RTMP stream and re-stream it to global partners with consistent high quality and ultra-low latency. | The Dolby API and re-streaming feature distributes broadcasts to RTMP destinations while offering real-time WebRTC playback. | Achieved maximum automation for over 400 partners integrated with the GRID Data Platform worldwide. |
The growth of real-time video in eSports
As a leader in eSports data solutions, GRID requires streaming technology that can handle high volumes of data with precision and speed. Latency is a critical concern, as even the slightest delay can disrupt the viewer experience and compromise the integrity of live broadcasts. Reliable streaming solutions are essential for GRID to maintain their competitive edge, ensuring that fans receive uninterrupted, high-quality streams that accurately reflect the fast-paced dynamics of eSports events. The challenge was clear: GRID needed a scalable real-time video solution to not only meet the growing interest but also to support the industry’s rapid expansion.
Unveiling the power of Dolby real-time streaming in eSports
For streaming engineers addressing the complexities of eSports video distribution, Dolby real-time streaming solution is at the forefront of technology. In their search for a secure, scalable streaming solution, GRID Esports was referred to Dolby by LTN Global and our team of WebRTC experts immediately got to work. The primary challenge involved not just distributing real-time eSports broadcasts at scale but doing so while maintaining exceptional video quality. Dolby real-time streaming solution harnessed its own Content Delivery Network (CDN) to achieve a scalable distribution model, guaranteeing ultra-low-latency streams up to 4K resolution.
Our solution enabled interactive streaming with sub-500ms end-to-end latency, crucial for engaging tournament organizers, betting companies, and media outlets. To maintain stream quality and security, the swift implementation of Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies into fan-facing applications and sportsbook operations ensured a protected and optimized experience.
The challenge of RTMP ingest with simulcast functionality was easily solved with Dolby’s re-streaming feature, which facilitates high-quality, ultra-low-latency distribution to global partners. This integration has led to maximum automation and efficiency, crucial for managing over 400 partners worldwide integrated with the GRID Data Platform.
Through Dolby real-time streaming strategic implementations, a seamless and secure streaming infrastructure was swiftly established with a proof of concept completed in only four weeks. This rapid innovation has propelled GRID Esports to a leading position in the industry.
Charting new frontiers: GRID Esports’ journey to excellence
GRID partners with media companies to innovate the use of eSports data and video, aiming to enhance the viewing experience for fans. Their technology supports the efficient management of in-game data, enabling the organization of high-quality eSports tournaments and broadcasts.
Chris King, CTO of GRID, emphasizes the transformative impact of Dolby real-time technology on customer experiences. “By significantly improving latency and delivery consistency across all supported titles, GRID Esports has enhanced the satisfaction of our clients, resulting in a more seamless and reliable interaction with our products.”
GRID’s solutions offer several key benefits:
In-Game Data Infrastructure
GRID equips multiplayer games of any scale with agnostic infrastructure to source, manage, distribute, and monetize in-game data – all in one place.
Comprehensive Tournament Infrastructure
GRID provides a fully automated, genre-agnostic infrastructure that enhances tournament operations and integrity.
Enhanced Viewing Experience
Through partnerships, GRID innovates the use of eSports data and video to improve the fan experience.
Scalability and Support
Their technology allows for quick scaling to meet demand, with 24/7 support and integrity monitoring.
Wide Network Access
GRID connects data to over 400 customers, expanding the reach and impact of eSports events.
Their operations rely on minimal human input while striving for maximum automation – essential when working with over 400 partners integrated with the GRID Data Platform worldwide. This allows for seamless extraction and distribution of in-game data to a wide network of data consumers.
Summary
By dramatically enhancing latency and delivery consistency across all supported titles, GRID Esports has significantly boosted client satisfaction, ensuring more seamless and reliable interactions with their products. These advancements not only improve the end-user experience but also address essential eSports security needs, safeguarding the integrity of competitive events. As a result, GRID fortifies its reputation as a trailblazer in the industry, providing innovative solutions that meet the evolving demands of eSports while prioritizing safety and reliability.
