June 7, 2026, Plaza de Cibeles (Madrid). More than a million people followed Pope Leo XIV's Mass in the square and the surrounding streets. The screens and sound were between 300 m and 2 km from the core of the network. Live event broadcasting means capturing, transporting and broadcasting an event's audio and video live, without dropouts or loss of sync, in real time and with no chance to fix it afterwards. enbex designed from scratch and operated the telecom and IP broadcast infrastructure behind that live event: audio, video and communications. RTVE produced the feed, PRG supplied the screens and the sound system (PA), and enbex carried that video and audio signal to them.
Here’s an explanation for anyone who sets the budget for an event, whether or not they have a technical background. For the organizer, it all boils down to three things: screens and sound that don't drop, a faster setup and the peace of mind that comes from having a team monitoring the network in real time. It is the same approach we apply to internet for events: a prior site survey and a backup line.
The challenge: In a live broadcast, there’s no such thing as “we’ll fix it later.”
Running a live event means managing risk in real time. Telecom protocols, IP video and audio protocols and screens all depend on something the audience never sees: the infrastructure that carries their signals. If that infrastructure flickers, the live event flickers. The Mass at Cibeles with His Holiness Leo XIV added up to three demands: no margin for error, a lot of signal moving at once (synchronization, audio, video, and control over the same network) and long distances, with screens up to 2 km away out on the street. The brief: that nothing would show.
What's the difference between a professional broadcast and "just streaming"?
Broadcasting, producing or transporting audiovisual signals at an event of this size is not a matter of plugging a camera into an online platform. A professional broadcast needs dozens of sources, signals and protocols to travel at the same time, in sync and with no noticeable latency, and to keep working if something fails. An app can't do that; what does it is a network designed as critical infrastructure, with redundancy and monitoring.
| Aspect | Simple streaming | Professional broadcast (enbex) |
| Simultaneous sources | One signal to one platform | Dozens of coordinated sources |
| Audio/video sync | Not guaranteed | Common time reference (PTP) |
| If a path fails | It drops | It continues over the redundant path |
| NETWORK | Venue's WiFi or generic network | IP network designed as critical infrastructure |
| Monitoring | None | NOC watching in real time |
The architecture enbex designed for Cibeles
Audio and video traveling as data over a single IP network
All the signals traveled on a single IP network. For the organizer: less setup and more room to react to changes. (Technical: SMPTE ST 2110-30 audio and SMPTE ST 2110 video over an Arista network; open standards.)
True redundancy: two paths for each signal
If one route goes down, the signal continues along the other one without any noticeable break —and without the audience noticing the handoff. That’s what sets a professional broadcast—one that’s carefully planned and backed by experience and expertise—apart from a completely improvised one.
Each service also had its own rack, with duplicated electronics and its own batteries: one for video, one for audio, one for the network and one for monitoring. That way, a problem in one doesn't take the others down with it.
Precision Synchronization with PTP V2
A common time reference keeps audio and video in sync on every screen. (Technical: PTP v2, IEEE 1588, with a Meinberg LANTIME M2000S grandmaster fitted with two GNSS clock modules, main and backup, and anti-jamming protection; boundary clocks in the network and separate domains for audio and video. The SMPTE ST 2059-2 profile sets a target of 1 µs between devices.)
The Invisible Layer: A Management Network and a NOC That Monitors Live Operations
Alongside the broadcast network, enbex set up a dedicated management network, so as to operate the network without interfering with the live broadcast. On top of that layer ran a custom-built NOC, working in real time: the goal is not to put out fires but to see the smoke before there is a fire.
enbex also set up WiFi for the staff as a contingency measure: it was used for communications and for work, and gave the team flexibility. It is the same WiFi for events in Madrid service we provide at trade fairs, festivals and live TV broadcasts.
enbex NetBuilder: the platform that orchestrates it all
The whole operation ran on enbex NetBuilder, enbex's own platform for designing, deploying and monitoring multi-vendor broadcast networks. The client does not depend on a technician remembering how everything is set up, but on a system that documents, monitors and reproduces the infrastructure.
Why choose enbex
- Vendor neutrality — each component is chosen for what it offers, not for what we want to sell.
- Validation before going live — nothing is taken for granted “just because it should work.”
- Monitored operation — a NOC monitoring the event in real time throughout its duration.
The result: the best network is the one nobody notices
The technology did its job and remained invisible. For the organization, the value was peace of mind: a design built not to fail and a team watching over it. The same standards as other enbex live events: the 2022 Champions League final and the New Year's Eve chimes at Puerta del Sol.
Project Specifications
| Concept | Specification |
| Audio transport | SMPTE ST 2110-30 over IP |
| Video transport | SMPTE ST 2110 over IP |
| Network architecture | Arista |
| Network nodes | More than 77 |
| Redundancy | Two paths per signal (no noticeable switchover) and redundant Arista hardware |
| Racks | One per service (video, audio, network and monitoring), with redundant electronics and batteries |
| Synchronization | PTP (IEEE 1588): Meinberg LANTIME M2000S grandmaster with main and backup GNSS clock modules and anti-jamming, boundary clocks and separate audio and video domains · SMPTE ST 2059-2 profile target: 1 µs between devices |
| Management network | Dedicated, separate from the live signal |
| Staff internet and WiFi | Contingency measure, for communications and work |
| Monitoring | Real-time NOC |
| Orchestration platform | enbex NetBuilder |
| Signal distribution | Video and audio to screens 300 m to 2 km away |
| Audience | More than a million people |
| Date and location | June 7, 2026 · Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid |
We design the framework that supports your live stream, from start to finish Contact enbex.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is live event broadcasting?
It means capturing, transporting and broadcasting an event's audio and video live, without dropouts or loss of sync. It happens in real time: there is no chance to fix it afterwards.
How is it different from ordinary streaming?
A simple stream sends a signal to a platform; a professional broadcast coordinates dozens of synchronized and redundant sources over a network designed as critical infrastructure.
How do you make sure there are no dropouts?
With redundancy—two paths for each signal—and a NOC monitoring the network in real time to detect problems before they affect the live broadcast.
Do I need my own network, or is the venue's WiFi enough?
A serious live broadcast needs infrastructure designed for it. The venue's generic WiFi guarantees neither the bandwidth nor the stability a professional broadcast requires.
Does enbex do live event broadcasting in Madrid and across Spain?
Yes. enbex designs and runs live event broadcasts in Madrid and across Spain, with its own team and platform.
Enrique Romero
Design and Implementation of IP Network Architectures