CHINA: The 15th National Games of China set a new benchmark for large-scale, cross-regional broadcast coordination, with Riedel Communications delivering a fully integrated, IP-based intercom and commentary solution spanning 56 competition venues and four International Broadcast Centers (IBCs) across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Operating continuously over the 30-day event, the system enabled seamless connectivity for 56 broadcasting teams and supported 39 ultra-high-definition productions without interruption, underscoring the critical role of resilient communications infrastructure in modern multi-sport events.

Held from Nov. 9–21, the Games brought together elite athletes from provinces, municipalities and special administrative regions to compete across 34 sports, including athletics, swimming, basketball, cycling and gymnastics. The 2025 edition was also the first to see Hong Kong and Macao participate as host regions, introducing new technical and logistical complexities in coordinating production workflows across multiple jurisdictions.

“The 15th National Games marks the first time Hong Kong and Macao have participated as host regions. This presented unique challenges in coordinating communications across multiple locations,” said Yuquan Lin, Technical Director of the National Games RHB. “Riedel’s solution addressed these complexities with a system that ensured seamless connectivity between four IBCs and 56 venues. From deployment to integration, the technology enabled efficient collaboration among teams from all three regions. The reliability and performance of Riedel’s infrastructure set a strong technical benchmark for large-scale, cross-regional events.”

Central to the Games’ broadcast architecture was an innovative “one main and three branch” IBC layout, with Guangzhou serving as the primary signal hub linked to regional sub-centres in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao. To support this distributed model, Riedel deployed its Artist intercom platform as the backbone of the communications network. An Artist-1024 matrix installed at the Guangzhou IBC supported more than 200 channels, incorporating AES67/ST2110-30 IP transmission alongside MADI signal integration, while an Artist-128 matrix handled dedicated commentary channels. The two matrices were connected via cascaded fibre links in a redundant configuration designed to ensure uninterrupted performance throughout the event.

Across all IBCs, Riedel installed 28 RSP-2318 SmartPanels with AES67/ST2110-30 compatibility and PTPv2 clocking, enabling precise synchronisation and low-latency communication between production teams and rights-holding broadcasters. At the venue level, 56 NSA-002A adapters were deployed to convert traditional four-wire signals into IP streams with latency under 10 milliseconds, maintaining real-time connectivity even during peak broadcast traffic.

Commentary operations were equally critical, with Riedel supplying 13 CCP-1116 commentary panels for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as 13 major competitions. Each commentary booth integrated high-quality pre-amplification and intercom functionality, allowing commentators to communicate directly with production teams while delivering pristine audio to broadcast audiences.

Reflecting on the deployment, Guillaume Mauffrey, Director Sales Asia at Riedel Communications, said, “The scale and complexity of this year’s National Games required a robust, flexible solution capable of bridging multiple regions. Our team worked closely with technical partners to design and implement a system that delivered reliable, real-time communication across all venues and broadcast centers. This deployment underscores Riedel’s expertise in managing large-scale, multi-node events and our commitment to advancing IP-based workflows for live production environments.”

By delivering a unified communications ecosystem capable of spanning multiple regions, venues and broadcast centres, Riedel Communications played a decisive role in enabling the operational precision and technical consistency demanded by China’s largest national multi-sport event.