Press Release: Game On: IBC Announces Extensive Esports Showcase to Bring the Latest in Gaming to the Broader Media Industry

IBC announces that it is hosting a three-strand esports showcase that will offer a dedicated zone on the show floor, a series of presentations and panels in the Showcase Theatre, and focused tech tours taking esports organisations to crucial production and delivery elements featured at the event. The esports offering at IBC2023, which takes place 15-18 September in the RAI Amsterdam, builds on the first venture by the show into the gaming space in 2019 when it ran an esports tournament for the entire media and entertainment industry as it converged on IBC.

“We are thrilled to have esports back at IBC with a live showcase that will bring together the gaming industry with the broader M&E community,” said IBC Director Steve Connolly. “We are taking the gaming elements of the show to the next level, offering esports industry organisations the opportunity to engage more fully with potential media tech partners while learning more about how they can reach wider audiences through broadcasting and streaming initiatives. At the same time, media companies will gain new, hands-on knowledge about the ins and outs of competitive gaming and how that works for companies developing content for new and emerging audiences.”

The dedicated esports zone will occupy close to 500 sqm in Hall 8 and is being run in partnership with Belgium-based gaming and esports agency Unlocked. It includes an area where gaming experts will demonstrate the latest esports production workflows and technology via three distinct configurations: stadiums, smaller venues, and home-based set-ups. The zone is an interactive, immersive experience using state-of-the-art racing simulators to capture gameplay and generate content that will be produced and played out for streams of the week-long competition. The esports zone will also include a networking area and partner zone, offering visitors the opportunity to meet and ask questions of esports experts from Unlocked.

“The esports zone offers a fantastic opportunity for the media and entertainment community to fully experience gaming as a live spectator sport,” said Steven Leuvens, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Unlocked. “It’s great to see IBC recognising the growing importance of esports and finding a way to enable people from all parts of the media industry to connect with the gaming organisations while becoming immersed in an onsite esports event. We are excited to be part of IBC2023.”

The IBC2023 esports showcase will also feature, as a second strand, a day-long gaming content programme at the Showcase Theatre on Monday, 18 September. Speakers from Omdia, HaZAnimation, Ubisoft, Media Monks, and more will explore the exciting developments at the intersection of gaming and media and debate what the future might hold. Highlights include:

• Top gaming trends – Liam Deane, Principal Analyst for Gaming Tech, Omdia;
• From gaming to on-screen: The hiccups and highlights – Fireside chat with Helene Juguet, Managing Director, Ubisoft Film & Television Paris;
• How Unreal Engine technology is enabling filmmakers and game developers to blur the lines between gaming and film tech – HaZ Dulull, Producer at HaZAnimation;
• Opportunities for in-game advertising and how the industry’s key players are leveraging them to reach new markets – Panel moderated by Deane and featuring Funs Jacobs, Senior Director of Innovation, Media Monks.

Also available at IBC to Premium Pass holders are a roundtable discussion on gaming in the entertainment industry, and an exclusive report on the convergence of gaming and media, produced by OMDIA, Official Premium Research Partner.

The third strand of the esports showcase taking place across the show consists of two dedicated tours of the show floor to highlight the broad range of esports-related technology from across the supply chain. Curated by industry specialists, the tours will take attendees on a journey through IBC’s 13 halls to discover the latest tech trends and products enabling the continued phenomenal growth of esports as a live broadcast or streamed spectator event. The tours will touch on elements such as production distribution, streaming software, and studio graphics. Companies whose stands will be featured on the tours include Magnifi, LucidLink, Clear-Com, Aldena Telecomunicazioni s.r.l., Yupp Video Services, Pixotope, NETINT Technologies, and Studio Network Solutions.

To learn more about esports at IBC2023, click here.

About IBC

Delivering innovation and empowering people, IBC is where the future of the global Media and Entertainment industry is defined and actioned. Energising the market, enabling content everywhere and inspiring new conversations, IBC brings the creative, technology and business communities together to collaborate, learn and unlock new opportunities.

At IBC 2023, exhibitors and speakers from around the globe will showcase game-changing innovations and tackle the media sector’s most pressing trends and issues – changing perceptions and meeting the needs of the world-leading broadcasters, content owners, rightsholders, service providers and others attending the four-day conference and trade show.

With a focus on inclusivity, IBC propels change – driving thought leadership, sparking discussion, shifting expectations, accelerating creativity and enabling real business outcomes. IBC’s mission is to empower our 250,000-strong global community to explore new opportunities, build knowledge, and play an active role in the technological transformation and broader change sweeping the industry worldwide.

For further information, please visit: https://show.ibc.org/