LVP scores with top-flight football esports production for LaLiga and EA Sports

All photos LaLiga FC Pro

The football action on- and off-screen is intensifying in Barcelona as the LaLiga FC Pro Regular Season progresses. Organisers LaLiga and EA Sports, and production company LVP (Liga de Videojuegos Profesional – Spain’s largest esports league and part of GRUP MEDIAPRO) are pushing to set a new benchmark for esports production in Europe. This year’s innovations include an analyst desk and a touchscreen, designed to enhance audience engagement and deliver deeper insights.

The tournament brings together 38 clubs from LaLiga EA Sports and LaLiga Hypermotion competing for a prize pool of €357,000. Participating clubs are divided into eight groups, competing in a 1v1 format throughout the season to secure their spots in the Cup and the Finals. Two rounds are played for each group, expanding the number of matches in the regular season phase this year.

Shown across 16 platforms including linear broadcast (DAZN TV), dedicated LaLiga club and EA channels, and TikTok, Twitch and YouTube, the latest stage of the tournament took place this week at GRUP MEDIAPRO’s studio facilities in Barcelona. Broadcast technologies typically used for professional football coverage elevate the production quality of the esports competition; indeed, the control room is the same as is used for traditional football broadcasts.

Unlike many esports tournaments, LaLiga FC Pro is conducted entirely in-person. “No players are online,” says Carles Negreiro Potrony, senior project manager at LVP, adding that the only exceptions were during the pandemic, when remote play – and remote production – was necessary. Since the competition involves all 38 LaLiga clubs, Negreiro says maintaining a high audiovisual standard is a priority to ensure a professional-quality production and avoid any perception of a low-budget presentation.

Speaking to SVG Europe before the second game, Negreiro said that an advanced production setup aims to capture the full atmosphere of the competition, including player reactions and strategies. A ten-year veteran of esports at LVP, he explained the commitment is to ensure that every single match is broadcast, guaranteeing equal visibility for all the participating clubs. “LaLiga wants this tournament to have the highest production values for esports in Europe,” he states.

EA Sports is also closely involved at many levels: “EA produces a professional worldwide circuit and championship; we work together to improve things year by year,” he adds.

On the ball

Each match day sees more than 27 cameras deployed and 35 video signals (including feeds from game consoles) captured, with a crane-mounted camera covering wide shots of the tournament in play.

“We have a range of cameras in the studio, each serving a different purpose,” Negreiro explains. “Every player has a Panasonic 4K PTZ camera positioned near their screen to capture their reactions during gameplay. The game itself is always the focus – we showcase it at the largest possible size – but when a goal is scored, we cut to the studio cameras to show the players’ real-time reactions. In addition to our massive 9m crane that gives us wider shots of the stage, we’ve added a cable cam for certain events, giving us dynamic shots of their celebrations.”

That contrasts with traditional football broadcasts. “In football, you see the whole pitch, then zoom in on the key players when a goal is scored,” says Negreiro. “But in esports, the in-game action is what matters most – the goal scorer is in the game.

“But the real reaction is from the competitor. That’s why we have cameras ready to capture every moment. When they celebrate, they don’t just stay seated – they stand up, shout, and let out their emotions. These reactions are a huge part of the experience, and our studio cameras ensure we capture them properly.”

Beyond player coverage, the studio setup includes multiple cameras for commentators. “Each game is shown in different production areas, complete with its own audio and player reactions,” Negreiro explains. “We have three operated cameras in the studio for the analysts and presenters.

“In traditional football broadcasts, you see the pre- and post-show analysts, but during the action itself, the commentators aren’t visible. In esports, it’s completely different. You see them, you see their reactions, how they celebrate goals, how they break down the action.

“Everything needs to run smoothly to avoid issues on the broadcast, especially given the high production standards required. We can’t stream just any content to the club channels, it must meet top-tier expectations.”

Match ready

With four games running simultaneously – eight players compete at once – LVP is handling a huge number of signals.

“We take the direct console output, duplicate it, and distribute it to the control room,” he explains. “That means when a player pauses to change tactics – adjusting formations or making substitutions – we can show it to the audience in real time. If someone is losing 3-0 at halftime, we can highlight what changes they’re making to turn the match around. The competition is played in Football Ultimate Team mode, so players choose any footballer they want, and each has different attributes – some are stronger physically, and some are faster. Viewers can see exactly how a pro player thinks and their strategies.”

The output is five broadcasts – four in Spanish, one in English – each with varying levels of production complexity. The top-tier feed features enhanced commentary and player reactions, while lower-tier broadcasts prioritise gameplay. Negreiro said the production can switch between feeds if a key moment occurs elsewhere, while onscreen graphics and audio commentary will showcase the goals and events happening in other matches. “The viewers can follow it in that way or just switch to the other channel if they want to see the full match itself,” he adds.

With tech such as a Grass Valley Kahuna video mixer and EVS replay systems used to bump up the production values, each broadcast involves a structured team, including a TV director, producer, graphics operator, video mixer, floor manager, sound engineer, and assistants for commentators and technical coordination. “We also have a CCU operator balancing the cameras and a technician overseeing transmissions across multiple platforms,” he explains.

“When we started this competition, eight years ago, we brought in a 4K OB van to produce on 5G. If not, we’d have been broadcasting in interlaced instead of progressive, and people would complain – not because it looked bad, but because it wasn’t what they saw on their own [game] screens,” adds Negreiro. “That’s still a challenge today. Almost every football broadcast worldwide – except 4K – is interlaced. But for esports, we need progressive to ensure the game is shown exactly as players experience it.”

Dante is used for audio distribution across multiple locations within the production environment. “It offers a lot of options around sending the signals,” Negreiro notes “We wanted the ability to show every console on every feed. With Dante, we avoid running metres and metres of cables, and we can configure different audio setups for each talent and player and every audio source, adjusting console volume, music levels, and communication between locations without the hassle of fibre connections.”

Latency is another major concern, but Dante helps synchronise audio with video to prevent even small delays. “In video games, audio is crucial – players need to hear the game exactly as they do on their own consoles,” he says. “If the audio isn’t perfectly in sync – if a competitor takes a shot and the sound comes even a few milliseconds late – the audience immediately notices. They’re used to real-time feedback.”

Knowing the score

Each year, LVP and its partners aim to enhance the production: “Audiences don’t want to feel like they’re watching the same thing as last year. We introduce new elements to keep it fresh and engaging,” explains Negreiro.

This has prompted a major change to the studio format: “Previously, each match had its own separate stage with dedicated cameras. This year, we switched to a larger competition zone where all matches take place together. That way, we capture all the action in one space, making it easier for viewers to follow everything happening at once. It gives the audience a better sense of the scale of the event – this isn’t just four separate matches, it’s a full-scale, high-level competition.”

“We also needed some down time between rounds because players are switching positions in the studio,” he explains. The solution was to create two different spaces: “We’ve got one analyst desk – more like a traditional football desk – where they stand and talk about what happened in the match, analyse replays, and discuss what to expect next.

“We’ve also got a touchscreen play zone in the middle of the studio, with a dedicated camera, and that’s where we break down the gameplay itself,” continues Negreiro.

The talent can pause play, mark up the touchscreen, and explain the best options. “We analyse replays, pulling the best goal from the previous match and break it down,” says Negreiro. “We also bring competitors to the touchscreen to explain how they play, giving tips on shooting free kicks, taking corners, or using different controller techniques. It helps people at home learn from the best and improve their own game.

“It works really well for the audience because the pace of the game is much faster than traditional football; we can slow things down and examine what’s happening.”

Looking ahead, LVP is focused on enhancing the experience, emphasising game mechanics and player techniques. This includes bringing pro players into the broadcast, helping them transition into commentators once they retire from competition.

“This year, we have two-time FIFAe World Champion Alfonso Ramos as part of our commentary team,” says Negreiro. “These players know the game better than anyone – they’ve spent hours and hours mastering every detail. Now they can share that expertise with the audience.”

The competition concludes in April with the finals in San Sebastián and a city yet to be announced, combining both competitive matches and various activities which are open to the public.