The hub was built in 2020 and is one of four large production centers that ESL has recently created. They cover the whole world: Europe with the Middle East and Africa, Asia and the Pacific, North and South America, and China. The Katowice center is responsible for the first of them. It is a natural extension of the idea that guided the company when the first ESL Arena was created here and of the previous activities of the Polish ESL, which was almost entirely responsible for events such as the pre-Olympic SC2 Pyongyang-Chang tournament.
The ESL Production Hub, built-in Katowice, covers 8,000 m² and houses six large-scale studios. Each of them allows for the production of the format with an audience of several hundred people. The largest studio is approximately 2,500 m². In addition, there are 12 small studios where it is possible, among other things, to conduct interviews or comment on games. In addition to studies, the hub consists of several smaller competence centers. These include the graphic hub, designing stages, stands, graphics, and a department responsible for video productions. The production center can carry out several transmissions simultaneously thanks to such an extensive infrastructure. Currently, 150 people work there, including teams of competent technicians, graphic designers, producers, etc., allowing several dozen productions a year to be carried out there. It is one of the most modern production complexes in the country. Together with the annual Intel Extreme Masters Katowice tournament, it positions ESL Gaming as a world leader in its industry.
The establishment of the Production Hub allows ESL Gaming to continuously develop and respond to the growing needs of partners and customers. Because the production studios are multifunctional facilities, the company can realize productions for brands worldwide. Modern shooting sets, the so-called “green boxes”, allow for any studio arrangement and the creation of dynamic broadcasts of esports tournaments. The hub can be used for two primary purposes – to broadcast from own tournaments, such as Intel Extreme Masters, and for other companies – mainly game publishers.
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